After we finished our Yangtze cruise, we arrived in Chongqing to have a spectacular hot pot tour in this city. That’s what I expected before we came to China.
The bus took us in front of The People’s Assembly Hall of Chongqing, an architectural attraction with green dome and red columns supporting it.
When Renee and I got out of our bus, a Chinese man who appeared to be around 30 met us. He is our local guide for the hot pot tour in Chongqing. His name is Leo. Then, Leo ushered us into a Buick van while the driver loaded our luggage into the trunk. As we began driving, Leo began to introduce this city to us. He had encyclopedic knowledge of his city and barely paused to take a breath.
We got know more about this city through Leo’s detailed introduction. Chongqing has been a center for trade for centuries and it used be the capital of China during World War II. In 1997, Chongqing became China’s fourth municipality administered by the Chinese government.
Chongqing is known as the hottest city in China for three reasons. One, hot weather. Two, spicy food. Three, beautiful women. Renee and I all laughed because of Leo’s interesting introduction.
Chongqing is also the Hot Pot Capital of the World. When someone tells you that you’re in “the capital of the world” for any type of food, it would be a crime not to eat it.
Soon, the van took us to a nice restaurant. We were at a table with a boiling pot of water with tomato and spices in the middle of it. Leo had called ahead and asked the waiters to prepare a medium-spicy hot pot for us; actually “medium spicy” was really spicy. The waiter brought us Chinese beers at our request and explained how the hot pot experience worked.
The dishes for hot pot are meat, fish, vegetables, noodles, bean curd, and herbs. Every single dish was placed in a little bowl. And you can pick each item up with chopsticks and place it in the water. After a few minutes, take it out of the water and dip it in sauce.
Very kindly, the waiter taught us how to mix hot pot sauce with minced garlic, and sesame oil. It was one of the best meals we had ever had: fresh, unique, and delicious. When Leo returned to the restaurant to collect us, he found us with our bellies stuffed.
Chongqing is also the Hot Pot Capital of the World. When someone tells you that you’re in “the capital of the world” for any type of food, it would be a crime not to eat it.
Soon, the van took us to a nice restaurant. We were at a table with a boiling pot of water with tomato and spices in the middle of it. Leo had called ahead and asked the waiters to prepare a medium-spicy hot pot for us; actually “medium spicy” was really spicy. The waiter brought us Chinese beers at our request and explained how the hot pot experience worked.
The dishes for hot pot are meat, fish, vegetables, noodles, bean curd, and herbs. Every single dish was placed in a little bowl. And you can pick each item up with chopsticks and place it in the water. After a few minutes, take it out of the water and dip it in sauce.
Very kindly, the waiter taught us how to mix hot pot sauce with minced garlic, and sesame oil. It was one of the best meals we had ever had: fresh, unique, and delicious. When Leo returned to the restaurant to collect us, he found us with our bellies stuffed.
This hot pot tour is amazing and we will never forget!
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