The History of Hotpot: The Mongolian Influence

In part 1 of our series on the history of hotpot, we looked at the early origins of the idea behind hotpot. It turned out that no single moment or place could be pinpointed as the birth of hotpot. Various forms of cooking in a pot developed over the centuries in different parts of China.

But how did that simple idea eventually evolve into the hotpot styles we know today?

A significant part of the answer lies in northern China, where the tradition of thinly sliced lamb and a simple hot broth developed.

This style eventually grew into what we now know as Beijing Hotpot.

From cooking pot to lamb hotpot

Lamb has a long history in Northern China.

Due to the climate and nomadic traditions in northern China and the surrounding areas, mutton was an important part of the food culture.

Furthermore, cooking thinly sliced meat in a hot pot was a practical way to eat together.

Instead of elaborately preparing meat, it could be briefly cooked directly at the table.

This created a dining style remarkably close to the modern hotpot experience: a pot of hot broth in the middle, thinly sliced meat next to it, and everyone preparing their own food.

The Mongolian influence

The influence of Mongolian eating habits is often cited in the development of the northern hotpot tradition.

Mongolian cuisine had a strong tradition of eating mutton and other meats. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), when the Mongols ruled China, various food and cooking traditions came into even stronger contact.

Stories exist of Mongolian horsemen cooking meat in simple metal pots, and this method of preparation eventually influenced northern Chinese hotpot.

However, the precise historical development is difficult to establish with certainty.

It is therefore too simplistic to say that the Mongols "invented hotpot." The idea of cooking in a pot existed much earlier in China.

The Mongolian influence primarily lies in the important role that lamb and northern cooking traditions gained in the further development of hotpot.

From Mongolian tradition to Beijing

Over the centuries, Beijing became an important center for this northern hotpot tradition.

The city brought together various culinary influences and eventually developed its own style.

This style emphasized relatively simple broth and high-quality lamb.

That may sound simple, but therein lies the character of Beijing Hotpot.

The broth doesn't need to be heavily seasoned. The meat is the main flavor.

The famous copper hotpot

One of the most recognizable features of traditional Beijing Hotpot is the copper hotpot with a chimney in the middle.

This pot is often referred to as a shuan yangrou or Mongolian hotpot.

In the center of the pot is a space for the heat source. Around it is the broth.

The shape is not only practical but has also become part of the image many people have of traditional Beijing Hotpot.

The pot is placed on the table, and the thinly sliced lamb is briefly passed through the hot broth.

Why is the meat sliced so thinly?

Slicing the lamb extremely thinly has a clear purpose.

This means the meat only needs to be cooked in the hot broth for a very short time.

Traditionally, the meat is held in the boiling broth with chopsticks or a small strainer until it is cooked.

Then it is immediately eaten with the dipping sauce.

Due to the short preparation time, the meat remains tender and its natural flavor is well preserved.

This perfectly matches the character of Beijing Hotpot: to reveal as little as possible and let the quality of the ingredient speak for itself as much as possible.

The broth: simple but intentional

While modern hotpot styles sometimes use dozens of ingredients to create a powerful broth, traditional Beijing broth is relatively simple.

Often ingredients such as:

• water
• spring onion
• ginger
• possibly other aromatic ingredients are used.

The goal is not to overpower the meat.

The broth primarily serves as the cooking medium in which the lamb and other ingredients are prepared.

Therefore, in Beijing Hotpot, great importance is attached to the quality and freshness of the meat.

The dipping sauce becomes important

Because the broth is relatively mild, the dipping sauce plays an important role.

A traditional Beijing hotpot meal is often combined with a sauce based on sesame paste, supplemented with, for example, soy sauce, pickled chives, and other flavorings.

This allows you to give the meat a much more intense flavor after cooking.

The result is an interesting division:

The broth is mild → the meat is central → the dipping sauce adds extra flavor.

This is very different from, for example, Sichuan Hotpot, where the broth itself largely determines the flavor.

Beijing Hotpot becomes its own tradition

As Beijing Hotpot grew in popularity, the style continued to develop.

Restaurants specialized in preparing thinly sliced lamb and using traditional copper pots.

Hotpot thus became not only a practical way to prepare food but also part of Beijing's culinary identity.

The meal became a social experience: people sat around the same pot, cooked their own meat, and shared the rest of the ingredients.

From traditional pot to modern hotpot

The foundation of Beijing Hotpot is still recognizable today.

You have:

• a pot in the center of the table;
• a hot broth;
• thinly sliced lamb;
• vegetables and other ingredients;
• your own dipping sauce;
• and most importantly: plenty of time to eat together.

At the same time, modern hotpot has, of course, changed.

Restaurants nowadays use different types of pots and heat sources. Many more ingredients are also offered than before.

Yet the basic idea remains the same.

Beijing Hotpot and the rest of China

Beijing Hotpot is ultimately one of many regional developments within Chinese hotpot culture.

Completely different styles emerged in other parts of China.

In Sichuan and Chongqing, for example, chili and Sichuan pepper became increasingly important. In Guangdong, a tradition developed where the quality of beef is central.

Thus, hotpot became increasingly diverse.

And it is precisely these regional differences that make the history of hotpot so interesting.

From lamb to hundreds of varieties

The development of Beijing Hotpot clearly shows how hotpot has adapted throughout history.

A simple way to prepare meat in a hot pot became part of an elaborate food culture.

Mongolian influence played an important role in the northern tradition, while Chinese cities and regions subsequently further developed this way of eating.

The result is not a single fixed recipe, but an enormous collection of regional styles.