The
Biggest Steamboat
in the World
19 October
2006
Chongqing has the reputation
of being one of three furnaces in China
for its steamingly hot weather in
summertime. And it also has a reputation
of producing, arguably, the best
steamingly hot pot (steamboat) during
cooling seasons.
Now as cooling season creeps
in, so does the steamboat, but with a big
show.
Last weekend on the opening
day of the city’s annual steamboat
festival, over 100,000 people sat at
1,000 tables in the Chongqing street
busily dipping their chopsticks in hot
pots.
The biggest
hot pot in the world (天下第一锅)
Click on the image to
enlarge it
Measuring 76
metres in length, it is certainly
the longest steamboat in the
world which was shared by 300
people at the evening.
Click
on the image to enlarge it
Typical steamboat consists
of a simmering pot of stock with the heat
source coming from underneath. Food are
cooked at the table and eat with dipping
sauces.
Ingredients of steamboat
normally include thinly sliced mutton,
beef, port and fish, meatballs,
fishballs, prawns, egg dumplings, rice
noodle, green bean noodle, tofu and
variety of vegetables.
The earlier and more
authentic steamboat used an earthen pot
that was heated with charred wood, which
gives strong natural aroma. Nowadays a
metal pot on a portable gas or electric
stove is more common.
Based on the different
flavours of the stock, the steamboat can
be categorised into different styles.
Below are some most popular ones:
Hot Hot Pot
(麻辣锅)
Obviously, it’s very
hot. A Sichuan style that blends
chilli and other strong spices into
the stock, which brings a robust
flavour to the food.
Yin Yang Pot (鸳鸯锅)
As the name has
suggested, it offers a duel
presentation: A pot divided into tow
parts, one being hot with chilli (red
stock 红汤),
another mild in taste (white stock白汤),
which is ideal for catering different
preferences.
Water Pot
(清锅)
Ingredients are cooked
in boiling water that adds no spice
or flavour, so the original texture
and aroma of the food can be better
appreciated. This is a reflective
Canton style.
Wine Pot
(醉鸡锅)
From one extreme to
another, this is a drunken style of
Canton. The flavour and nutritious
value of the stock is enhanced with
chicken, wine and Chinese medicinal
materials.
China
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