A sense of Belonging and affection through “Huo guo”, Hot pot

Hong Kong is a place where Western and Asian cuisine coexist. Due to its past as a British colony, Hong Kong cuisine is heavily influenced by Western culture and thus has diverse recipes of food with a variety of seasoning and sauce. In terms of a population, Han Chinese accounts for 95 percent of its population. Except for a small number of natives, people in Hongkong are the emigrants from Guangdong, a province on the Southern China. Because of this majority, Hong Kong food culture evolved with features of Guangdong and Cantonese cuisine.

In Cantonese cuisine, chefs focus on a natural flavor of the ingredients without using strong condiments. As it is often said in Hong Kong, everything that is alive can be used as a food ingredient. Eating out is quite common in Hong Kong so there are a lot of people who enjoy their daily meal – even three meals a day – by dining out. Hong Kong cuisine is evaluated as a cuisine that well combines Western ingredients with Chinese cuisine.

Among fascinating Hong Kong cuisine, the most loved dish is a Huoguo, Chinese hot pot. I tried traditional Huoguo for the first time in Hongkong. It has been three years since I tried that Huoguo but I can still remember the taste of that Chinese hot pot. Huoguo is usually served with various types of ingredients such as vegetables and meats and accompanied with a boiling pot of soup for dipping. Huo, in Chinese, refers to a fire and Guo means a bowl. People cuddle around a fire and share the pot. During this sharing, a sense of belonging and affection rise among people. For Huoguo, most of the ingredients can be used regardless of its taste. People enjoying Huoguo together think of each other as people in a good relationship.

A specific type of Huoguo named ‘Yunyang Huoguo’ is again sorted into two types of soup: white soup and red soup. Often times, Koreans are reluctant to try red soup due to a strong flavor and scent of Chinese spice and herbs. Especially, coriander, Zanthoxylum Piperitum, Chinese pepper have strong scents. In contrast, white soup is characterized by a plain soup with a light flavor. The flavor changes according to the ingredients you choose and put in. The types of meats for dipping include lamb, beef and seasoned pork. Also, a dish of vegetables, tofu and skewered food is served together. Chung Hyang-hee Hyatt Regency Jeju Asia Restraurant Chef | Summary by Lho Ji-young