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What is Sichuan Hot Pot?
A communal hot pot whose best-known broths layer dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and fermented seasonings.
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Flavor profile
Spicy · Numbing · Aromatic
A communal hot pot whose best-known broths layer dried chillies, Sichuan pepper and fermented seasonings.
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Key ingredients
Dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, fermented broad bean paste, aromatics and either beef tallow or vegetable oil, plus meats, offal, tofu and vegetables for cooking at the table.
This is a food guide, not a recipe. Ingredients and preparation vary between cooks, shops and cities.
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How it is usually made
The seasoned broth is kept simmering while diners cook ingredients in batches. Beef-tallow broths are especially associated with Chongqing-style hot pot; Sichuan hot-pot styles are diverse.
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Origin and food culture
Málà hot-pot traditions are shared across the Sichuan Basin. Beef-tallow broth is particularly identified with Chongqing, now a separate municipality, while restaurants across Sichuan also use vegetable-oil, clear and divided broths.
Hot pot is a social meal rather than a finished soup: diners cook raw ingredients at the table and usually season each bite in an individual dipping bowl.