Longde Hot Pot

Longde Hot Pot

　　Longde Hot Pot is a specialty dish from Longde County, Guyuan City, in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The main ingredients of Longde Hot Pot are all home-style vegetables, primarily sliced white radish, along with bean sprouts, cellophane noodles, tofu, and carrots. The "cover" – the top layer of the hot pot – consists of stir-fried pork belly.

　　Longde Hot Pot is a claypot-style dish beloved by the locals. In eastern Gansu, it is both a staple dish and a local snack. Longde Hot Pot is enjoyed year-round, and the best—and originally used—cookware is earthenware. A good hot pot requires good ingredients. The broth must be made with premium seasonings: chicken broth is ideal, but pork broth works as well. With ample seasoning and a good amount of charcoal burning at the center, it’s meant to be simmered slowly. The main ingredients of Longde Hot Pot are all home-style vegetables, primarily sliced white radish, along with bean sprouts, cellophane noodles, tofu, and carrots. The “cover” – the top layer of the hot pot – consists of stir-fried pork belly. There are roughly three ways to serve it: the first is mixed—various ingredients are cooked together in one pot for a hearty communal meal; the second is compartmentalized—each type of vegetable has its own section, with cellophane noodles and tofu in separate compartments, allowing diners to choose their favorites; the third is the “cover”—the ingredients in the pot are mixed, but the top layer features more premium items such as meat, tofu, and cellophane noodles, which were traditionally reserved for guests. The beauty of Longde Hot Pot lies in the hollow central chimney that cooks the surrounding ingredients. The flavor comes from the stewing, and the aroma from the fire. Charcoal is the best fuel as it imparts no smoke flavor into the food. Ingredients like radish slices are pre-cooked until about 70–80% done, cellophane noodles are pre-soaked, and thick slices of pork belly are stir-fried before adding, ensuring they aren’t greasy and taste pure and delicious. With snow white outside the door and a red-hot pot inside, the fragrance of the simmering hot pot drifts through the air, filling the surroundings with its mouthwatering aroma.