I later found out from a friend that my go-to hot pot was very similar to Ishikari nabe, a salmon hot pot recipe from the Hokkaido region of Japan. If I'm unable to make fresh dashi (kombu and bonito stock), I turn to Hondashi, which supplies solid flavor and brininess. My go-to hot pot recipe over the years contains many of the pantry staples I typically have around, especially during the winter. Even a small hot pot has plenty to go around. In our household these days, we've been making hot pot for two, or at most, four or five with my immediate family, or delivering leftover hot pot to our nearby friends. In the age of COVID-19, a communal meal is something we've all dreamt of having again. My dad used to cook a doenjang broth with vegetables, tofu and bulgogi, his improvised version of jeongol for us to share. Though traditionally one dips their meats and vegetables into the broth to cook them, I grew up in a Korean American household where we would cook our hot pot ingredients all together in our electric pot at the kitchen table. In the end, all roads taken are in hopes of leading to a delicious boiling broth filled with comforting goodness - plus a dipping sauce on the side. It can be presented both as a casual experience, as well as upscale one, as chef Mako Okano does with her shabu shabu omakase at Shabu Shabu Macoron in New York City. Some hot pots provide dividers to separate diners’ meals, or to provide different soup bases, and some also provide a center area for grilling. In the Sichuan province, chiles and peppercorns create the signature mala (spicy and numbing) flavor of the broth. In Beijing, China, traditional hot pot is cooked with a metal volcano-shaped hot pot, and mutton is a common main ingredient in northern China. Whether cooked on a stovetop or a tabletop gas stove, in earthenware or an electric pot, hot pot is prepared and cooked in many different ways, with all different types of ingredients, depending on where you are. Though there are many different takes on hot pot from the many cultural regions of China alone, it’s a ubiquitous meal had throughout east and southeast Asia: shabu shabu and sukiyaki in Japan, jeongol in Korea, lok-lok in Malaysia, lẩu in Vietnam, to name just a few. The Chinese method of quick-cooking and retrieving thinly-cut dip meats and vegetables in a communal hot broth has been around for centuries, and it’s a tradition that continues in many households today. It's winter, which means it's hot pot season.
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