Hot Pot

◎張開蘭

人們總調侃說：“沒有什么事情是一頓火鍋解決不了的，如果有，那就兩頓。”這句話飽含著人們對火鍋的喜愛。那么,你知道我們為什么喜歡吃火鍋，又是怎么吃火鍋的嗎？

We Chinese take our food very seriously.And today the most common greeting for friends and family is still “Have you eaten yet?”.

Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue, is one of the most popular meals in China.It consists of a metal pot with broth at the center of a table,and all raw1)ingredients placed beside the metal pot, so people can add and cook whatever they like in the broth.

Why people like eating hot pot?

Hot pot has a long history of over 1,000 years in China.It used to be favored only in winter, but now hot pot has been appearing on tables all year round.

Besides the delicious2)flavor, there are two other important reasons for people liking hot pot.The first one is that it is a great way to socialize.People gather around the metal pot, chatting, eating, drinking, and having fun.

The other is that hot pot is a healthy meal.Eating hot pot can warm the body and improve circulation in winter, and increase perspiration to help cool the body in summer.Some seasonings used in hot pot can help3)alleviate some4)minor illnesses like colds, blocked sinuses.

How to eat hot pot?

Although the flavor of hot pot varies from region to region, the dining customs are similar.Hot pot is commonly served in a heated wide metal pot.When the broth is boiling, you can put the ingredients in until they’re cooked through.

Do not add all ingredients to the soup at once.You should add the items that take the longest time to cook first, like fish balls and meatballs, and then add the thinly sliced meat or green vegetables.Vegetables, fish and meat should be fresh.

Make sure foods are cooked through before you eat.For example, the meat balls and fish balls need to float, and the raw meat need to fully change the color.Then you can use the dipping sauces.

1) ingredientn.材料

2) flavorn.味道

3) alleviatev.減緩

4) minoradj.輕微的

詞組加油站

consist of 包含，由……組成

have a long history of 有著悠久的歷史

vary from...to 從……到……各不相同

中國人對待食物非常認真。今天，最常見的問候朋友和家人的方式仍然是“你吃了嗎？”。

火鍋，是中國最受歡迎的食物之一。火鍋由一個鍋和食材組成。一個金屬鍋放在桌子的中央，鍋里放著湯底，所有的食材都放在金屬鍋旁邊，這樣人們就可以在鍋底里加入和涮任何他們喜歡的食物。

我們為什么喜歡吃火鍋?

火鍋在中國有著一千多年的悠久歷史。過去人們只在冬天吃火鍋，但現在火鍋一年四季都出現在人們的餐桌上。

除了美味之外，人們喜歡吃火鍋還有另外兩個重要的原因。一是因為火鍋是一種很好的社交方式。人們圍著火鍋一起聊天，吃吃喝喝，度過一段快樂的時光。

另一個原因是火鍋是一種健康食物。冬天吃火鍋可以溫暖身體，促進血液循環，夏天吃火鍋可以增加排汗，幫助身體降溫。在火鍋中添加的一些調味料可以幫助緩解一些輕微疾病，如感冒、鼻塞阻塞。

如何吃火鍋?

雖然火鍋的味道因地區不同而有差異，但用餐習俗卻相似。吃火鍋通常會放一個可加熱的大的金屬鍋，當湯沸騰時，你可以把食材倒進去，直到食材被煮熟。

不要一次把所有的配菜都加到湯里。你應該先加入需要煮得最久的食材，比如魚丸和肉丸，然后加入切成薄片的肉或綠色蔬菜。蔬菜、魚、肉都應該是新鮮的。

吃之前一定要把食物煮熟。如，肉丸和魚丸要浮起來，生肉要完全變色。然后你可以蘸醬食用。