Hot Pot火锅

张开兰

人们总调侃说：“没有什么事情是一顿火锅解决不了的，如果有，那就两顿。”这句话饱含着人们对火锅的喜爱。那么， 你知道我们为什么喜欢吃火锅，又是怎么吃火锅的吗？

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

Hot pot， also known as Chinese fondue， is one of the most popularmeals in China. It consists of a metal pot with broth at the center of a table，and all raw 1）ingredients placed beside the metal pot， so people can add andcook 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 befavored only in winter， but now hot pot has been appearing on tables all yearround.

Besides the delicious 2）flavor， there are two other important reasons forpeople liking hot pot. The first one is that it is a great way to socialize. Peoplegather 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 thebody and improve circulation in winter， and increase perspiration to help cool the body in summer. Some seasonings used in hot pot can help 3）alleviatesome 4）minor illnesses like colds， blocked sinuses.

How to eat hot pot？

Although the flavor of hot pot varies from region to region， the diningcustoms 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 theyre cookedthrough.

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

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

1） ingredient n. 材料

2） flavor n. 味道

3） alleviate v. 減缓

4） minor adj. 轻微的

词组加油站

consist of 包含，由……组成

have a long history of 有着悠久的历史

vary from...to 从……到……各不相同

中国人对待食物非常认真。今天，最常见的问候朋友和家人的方式仍然是“你吃了吗？”。

火锅，是中国最受欢迎的食物之一。火锅由一个锅和食材组成。一个金属锅放在桌子的中央，锅里放着汤底，所有的食材都放在金属锅旁边，这样人们就可以在锅底里加入和涮任何他们喜欢的食物。

我们为什么喜欢吃火锅 ？

火锅在中国有着一千多年的悠久历史。过去人们只在冬天吃火锅，但现在火锅一年四季都出现在人们的餐桌上。

除了美味之外，人们喜欢吃火锅还有另外两个重要的原因。一是因为火锅是一种很好的社交方式。人们围着火锅一起聊天，吃吃喝喝，度过一段快乐的时光。

另一个原因是火锅是一种健康食物。冬天吃火锅可以温暖身体，促进血液循环，夏天吃火锅可以增加排汗，帮助身体降温。在火锅中添加的一些调味料可以帮助缓解一些轻微疾病，如感冒、鼻塞阻塞。

如何吃火锅？

虽然火锅的味道因地区不同而有差异，但用餐习俗却相似。吃火锅通常会放一个可加热的大的金属锅，当汤沸腾时，你可以把食材倒进去，直到食材被煮熟。

不要一次把所有的配菜都加到汤里。你应该先加入需要煮得最久的食材，比如鱼丸和肉丸，然后加入切成薄片的肉或绿色蔬菜。蔬菜、鱼、肉都应该是新鲜的。

吃之前一定要把食物煮熟。如，肉丸和鱼丸要浮起来，生肉要完全变色。然后你可以蘸酱食用。