Why do Sichuan people like to eat hot pot?

The train is boring and the baby is asleep. In order to ease the sad parting mood, I decided to use my shallow understanding to talk about the hot pot I had last night!

I just checked the origin of hot pot on Baidu, and I didn’t see anything related to Sichuan people. However, in my nearly 30 years of memory, I have basically never been separated from hot pot...

I often wonder why Sichuan people are so fond of hot pot? This special preference is not only reflected in the three meals a day of Sichuan people, but also in the streets of Chengdu. Every year when I come back from summer vacation, what fills the air is not the fragrance of magnolia, but the spicy fragrance of hot pot. So, why do Sichuan people like to eat hot pot? Is it really because it tastes delicious?

It is undeniable that good taste is the core of this delicacy’s appeal. After all, if you want to live in the birthplace of Sichuan cuisine, how can you survive without any real skills? In Sichuan, it is no exaggeration to say that any "fly restaurant" on the street is delicious, let alone a hot pot restaurant of a certain scale? However, there are countless delicacies in the world, but why are hot pot restaurants the delicacies with the highest probability of appearing in the circle of friends? I think there is no other reason. The biggest reason is that hot pot can create an atmosphere that other foods cannot.

If you observe carefully, the decoration of hot pot restaurants is generally very Chinese style, coupled with the strong smell of hot pot, the red soup rolling in the pot, and the hot and noisy scene , just like the happy scene in the finale of Chinese people’s favorite TV series. Sometimes what we eat is not just the food, but more the feeling and mood of eating. Sichuan people are hospitable and enthusiastic. Therefore, when it comes to eating, the better the atmosphere, the more people eating, and the more it represents the host's enthusiasm, the happier the host will be. This scene is very consistent with the speaking scene and style of Sichuan dialect. Once, because I had a video chat with my family in front of colleagues, my image of a "lady" was ruined and my loud-voiced nature was exposed. A colleague said, "Why do you feel that the way you speak Sichuan dialect and Mandarin are not the same at all?" Well, Sichuan dialect is just like singing folk songs. For example, when calling for dinner, when we say "eat..." we must slowly and louder the "luck" , it also needs to be raised in tone to be tasty enough! I was thinking that this might be related to the topography of Sichuan since ancient times. The mountains are high and the water is far away, so I have to shout loudly. Therefore, Sichuan people who are accustomed to loud voices are most suitable for eating hot pot. In that kind of hot pot, there is still steam and gurgling sound, coupled with the unique flavor of Sichuan dialect and the optimistic character of Sichuan people, even if there is an earthquake, they will jokingly say "Oh, my duck intestines are shaken" "Slippery!" (pronounced in Sichuan dialect) In such a place, talking loudly, bragging and arranging a dragon gate array can't be more harmonious.

? Another biggest feature of hot pot is freedom. This is in line with the mentality of our modern people who want to blend in with the public but also want to have a small private space. You can add whatever ingredients you want, such as sesame paste, red oil, or even dark cooking, as long as you like it. Whatever you want to eat, you can boil it yourself. If you want red soup or spicy soup, it doesn't matter, then have a mandarin duck pot. You can eat whatever you want. Therefore, it is not difficult to explain that most hot pot ingredients on the market are produced in Sichuan, just like the bean paste must be from Pixian County to be authentic.

Another very important reason is that Sichuan’s climate is humid and prone to rheumatism, so we need to get rid of dampness. There are many spices, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, etc. in hot pot, which are experts in removing dampness. There are also many ingredients, which can be said to be the highest level of dietary therapy. In the cold and shivering winter, eating hot pot is simply not a good idea. In the hot and sweaty summer, eating hot pot cannot be too exciting. No wonder people say that in Chengdu, there is nothing that cannot be solved by eating hot pot. If there is, then eat two meals. But, why do I feel so bad every time I come back to eat hot pot? Is it because I eat it before leaving every time, so in addition to the spiciness, this hot pot also has a sad taste?

That day, my younger brother who was in the senior year of high school secretly told me that before the college entrance examination, their dormitory teacher Lai, the head teacher, was in the dormitory bathroom in the middle of the night, using bed planks to spread out, and cooking hot pot in the toilet... I wanted to laugh so much at that time, so Zuo asked him seriously, "How does it taste?" The younger brother replied seriously, "Hey, don't mention it. I got up at midnight and cooked hot pot in the toilet. It felt quite good. The key point is that it tastes good!" Yes, it tastes good! Bad? What can be cooked is "youth! In the hot pot, there is the flavor of youth, college entrance examination, and friendship!"

? Hot pot can appear in any form when we are sad, happy, joyful, parting, etc. The emotions are both indescribable and impressive! This is its multifaceted expression of being both domineering and close to life.

? In my memory, every time there is an important festival, my mother always says, "How about we cook hot pot?" "Hot pot" has long surpassed its status as a delicacy in my mind and has become a lingering word in my mind. Don't leave the impression.

It is more like the summer vacation in July, New Year’s Eve and the strong taste of home...

? So, maybe what we eat is not “hot pot”, what we eat is “fire—— Pass"! A hot pot meal changes everything, and life goes by in a prosperous way...