Huoguo

Huoguo is a communal Chinese dish in which diners cook raw ingredients themselves in a pot of simmering broth set over a burner at the table. The name means "fire pot".

What it really is

The dish is built on a broth kept at a steady simmer in a single pot shared by the table. Classic versions are often split into two halves, one mild and one heavily seasoned with chilli, Sichuan peppercorn and beef tallow or pork fat. Diners add thin slices of beef or lamb, sliced pork, seafood, tofu, leafy greens, mushrooms and starches such as noodles or potato, and remove each item when it is cooked. Dipping sauces are mixed to taste at each place setting.

Huoguo is not the same as Japanese shabu-shabu, which uses a light kombu broth and a sesame or ponzu dip, nor as Korean or Japanese nabe, which are usually cooked on the stove and served in portions. The Chinese version is defined by the shared pot, the divided or strongly spiced broth, and the self-cooking of raw ingredients at the table.

How it's served

• Served hot at the table in a shared pot on a portable gas or electric burner.
• Diners cook raw meat, seafood, vegetables and noodles in the broth in small batches and eat each piece from a personal bowl or dish.
• Accompanied by a dipping sauce mixed from sesame paste or oil, garlic, chopped spring onion, coriander and vinegar.
• Usually eaten in groups, and the meal can take a long time because cooking happens during the meal.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the broth and its heat level, for example "mild" or "spicy Sichuan-style" or "split pot" when both halves are served.
• List the main proteins served raw, such as thinly sliced beef, lamb or seafood, and state whether they are offered individually or as a set.
• Flag allergens that apply to the broth and dips: soy sauce and sesame are common, and shellfish or fish balls may be added.
• State whether the broth contains animal fat, as beef tallow is traditional in the spicy half.