We had our dinner last Monday night courtesy of Mayor JV at Gloria Maris Shark's Fin Restaurant...well known for their Chinese hot pot. It's my second time at Gloria Maris and this time I got really curious about the hot pot. My first experience at the restaurant they served us a divided hot pot..The other side is spicy while the other side is just the ordinary broth. This time it's not divided but the food that were cooked are the same. It has a variety of seafood balls, veggies, meats and noodles.

(photo grabbed from Wikipedia)

Do you know where these hot pots originated? According to Wikipedia:

Some have claimed that the Asian hot pot tradition had its origins in the region of Mongolia, even before the rise of the Mongols, although there is little historical evidence to support this. A much more popular claim of origin is from Sichuan province of China.

The Mongolian hot pot tradition originated from northern nomadic tribes. The Mongolian version of the steaming feast has been called the father of all Chinese hot pot. The Chinese hot pot boasts a history of more than 1000 years. Both the preparation method and the required equipment are unknown in the cuisine of Mongolia of today. Due to the complexity and specialization of the utensils and the method of eating it, hot pot cooking is much better suited to a sedentary culture. A nomadic household will avoid such highly specialized tools, to save volume and weight during migration.

Hot pot cooking seems to have spread to northern China during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906). In time, regional variations developed with different ingredients such as seafood. By the Qing Dynasty, the hot pot became popular throughout most of China. Today in many modern homes, particularly in the big cities, the traditional coal-heated steamboat or hot pot has been replaced by electric or gas versions.

Because steamboat and hot pot styles change so much from region to region, many different ingredients are used. While not strictly traditional, it is fun to experiment with ingredients and sauces according to one's own tastes.

It's one yummy and great food to try. So if you want to have a little fun while dining try the Asian hot pot.