New flavor of spicy hot pot: Spicy but not harsh — “Qinghua Jiao” royal tribute broth base

Spicy Sichuan peppercorn hot pot. (Provided by Wang Group)

Ink-Dance Wontons. (Provided by Wang Group)

Ethereal Sea Feast. (Provided by Wang Group)

Wang Group continues to expand its food and beverage footprint. Shortly after launching “Mu Yue,” its first Vietnamese cuisine restaurant at the end of last year, it is now introducing a new spicy hot pot brand — “Qinghua Jiao,” which will officially open on the 16th. The biggest highlight of “Qinghua Jiao” is its broth base, made from nine-leaf Sichuan peppercorns from Jiangjin in Chongqing — known as the “hometown of Sichuan peppercorns” and ranked among China’s top four pepper varieties. The peppercorns are harvested and vacuum-packed at -17°C before being delivered directly to Taiwan, preserving their uniquely fresh fruity aroma and bold, fragrant, spicy-numbing taste. This offers Taiwanese hot pot lovers a delicious new flavor to enjoy.

The “Qinghua Jiao” spicy hot pot features premium “Jiangjin Nine-Leaf Green” peppercorns as its main flavor, paired with a variety of authentic spices such as lantern peppers and facing-heaven chilies. These are stir-fried over low heat to extract a mellow, mature oil that blends seamlessly with the soup base. Lü Yizhen, manager of the Qinghua Jiao division, said: “Traditional spicy hot pot in Taiwan comes in two main styles — Sichuan-style, which emphasizes herbal aromas, and Taiwanese-style, which often carries a braised or soy paste flavor. The Sichuan peppercorn hot pot highlights the pure numbing taste and promotes itself as a ‘drinkable’ spicy soup. It offers the unique fresh fruity aroma of the nine-leaf Sichuan peppercorn, with a sweet taste that combines spicy, fragrant, and numbing layers — definitely satisfying the palates of food connoisseurs.”

The “Jiangjin Nine-Leaf Green” peppercorns, once a royal tribute, have long been enjoyed in diverse and rich ways. Upon entering “Qinghua Jiao,” start by sipping the exclusive specially-made Sichuan peppercorn Baozhong tea, experiencing the subtle numbing and fruity notes of the peppercorn within the tea aroma. When the hot pot arrives, don’t dig in right away — scoop up some fresh “Jiangjin Nine-Leaf Green” peppercorns and take in their fragrance, which is incomparable to dried ones. Then carefully crush the peppercorns, grind them finely, and pour them into the broth base. This key step not only enhances the freshness but also ensures the sweet-numbing aroma of the peppercorns evenly coats the meat slices, greatly enriching the texture. Unlike typical spicy hot pots that leave you parched, the Sichuan peppercorn hot pot is spicy but not harsh, smooth and mild, with the added benefit of warming the stomach.

The restaurant adopts a shared-style à la carte model, with an average per-person spend of about NT$650 and a menu of over 60 dishes. Recommended items include the must-have beef trio feast for hot pot — a massive platter 55 cm in diameter and weighing nearly 600 grams, featuring specially selected whole slices of beef short rib, beef brisket, and wagyu-style beef. Also a must-order is the rose-shaped Taiwanese domestic peony pork loin — both delicious and photogenic. Even more unique is the chance to hand-pick greenhouse-grown apricot mushrooms, which you can even take home after your meal.

“Qinghua Jiao” is located on Taipei’s premium shopping street, Zhongshan North Road. With an investment of NT$25 million, it has created Taiwan’s first flagship store, spanning nearly 200 ping (approximately 660 square meters) across three floors. The space incorporates Eastern elements such as blue-and-white porcelain, Song dynasty ceramics, official hats, and grandmaster chairs to craft a refined, elegant, and grand new interpretation of Oriental aesthetics.