There are two theories about the invention of hot pot-
First, Genghis Khan's invention theory
The origin of hot pot was not in Sichuan, but was invented by Genghis Khan. He fought all over the world for many years, and it took him a long time to see the soldiers eating traditional barbecue mutton. In order not to delay the soldiers, he cut the mutton into small pieces and threw it into a boiling pot. From then on, there was a hot pot in the world. From a certain point of view, it was the hot pot that filled the stomach of Mongolian cavalry, captured the Central Plains in high spirits, and marched all the way to Central Asia.
Second, the invention principle of the Three Gorges tracker
1000 years ago, in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, a group of trackers, with heavy steps and tired bodies, set up an earthen stove by the river. They took out the peppers, peppers and spices they carried with them, took water from the Yangtze River, boiled it into soup, supplemented by spirits, and boiled out fresh fish, live shrimps and various vegetables. After some heroic, passionate and tired, the trackers roared with passionate songs, put on their ropes and set off. Leaving a dirty stove and plumes of smoke.
The origin of hot pot
"Hot pot", what is hot pot? In fact, as long as there is a fire below and a pot above, it is a hot pot. As for what kind of pot to use? What kind of fuel? Evolution since ancient times, but colorful.
The earliest hot pot was cooked with a tripod.
About 10 thousand years ago, our ancestors invented the earliest container-Tao Ding, which is a very big pot. At that time, all edible food, such as meat, was thrown into the tripod, and then a fire was made at the bottom to cook the food, which was called "soup" at that time. This is the earliest hot pot. But when you think about it carefully, there is no so-called salt, no seasoning and no sauce. Just cooked a pile of meat. Will it be delicious? In addition, the tripod is too big to move, so it can only be displayed in a certain place, which is inconvenient to enjoy at any time. Thus, in the Western Zhou Dynasty, wise ancestors not only invented copper and iron, but also improved various pottery products into smaller vessels suitable for ordinary people. The appearance of copper and iron not only formed the revolution of utensils, but also was very similar to modern pots. Copper pots and casseroles are still the most practical and common hot pot utensils, and the cauldron is finally extended as a symbol of power.
Yuanyang pot, the ancestor of Three Kingdoms and Five Boiling Pots
The development of hot pot, like the development of catering history, is gradual, which is completely changed according to the utensils, social needs and the discovery and introduction of raw materials at that time. Just like before "Zanthoxylum bungeanum" was introduced to China, how could there be a fragrant pot? When "Chili" has not yet entered China, how can there be spicy seasoning? During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei Wendi's "five-cooked pot" was a pot with several compartments, which could cook different foods at the same time, similar to today's "Yuanyang pot". In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the "bronze tripod" was the most common vessel, which is today's hot pot. In the Tang Dynasty, hot pot was also called "warm pot".
Jiang Xue, where the sun is surging, is full of clouds and dusk. It is the reputation of hot pot in the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the evolution of the whole history of hot pot, the most vivid description of hot pot is the rabbit-washing slice in Shanjia Qinggong by Lin Hong in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, Lin Hong went to Wuyishan to visit Zhi Zhi, a hermit who lived in the sixth of the nine songs in Wuyishan. When Lin Hong was near the top of the mountain, it began to snow heavily and a rabbit flew into the rock. Because the rock was slippery after the snow, Lin Hong caught it. Lin Hong wants to roast rabbit meat and asks him if Zhi Zhi can roast rabbit meat. Zhi Zhi replied, That's how I ate rabbits in the mountains. Using this cooking method, Lin Hong thinks it's delicious. He is very happy to get together with three or five friends and grab something to eat in the snowy winter. Therefore, he gave a good name to this way of eating, and photographed the beautiful scenery of "the wind is surging and the clouds are shining in Jiang Xue, and the wind turns late, and the sky appears at first sight". Today, all kinds of meat and vegetables can be rinsed like this.
There are few changes in utensils, and white iron pots are common.
From the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to the present, the hot pot utensils have not changed much. In addition to using high-temperature resistant transparent glass, the new container can also stir food when cooking, and there will be no fish escaping from the net when eating. And copper pots, iron pots, casseroles and other pots are just more exquisite and have been used for more than thousands of years. The most common and widely used pot is "stainless steel pot", also known as "stainless steel pot".
The fuel is changed every day, and the secret recipe of seasoning is kept secret.
Although the hot pot utensils have not changed much, they have made rapid progress in the use of fuel. From firewood to charcoal, from electric stove and alcohol to gas and induction cooker, charcoal has the longest history and the most flavor, but it is also a way to pollute the air. Although the induction cooker is the cleanest and most convenient, it tastes bad. It is best to control the temperature of the gas, which is convenient and easy to use, but it is also dangerous. Compared with many changes in fuel, the evolution of seasoning materials tends to be conservative and confidential. The dip of instant-boiled mutton has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Shantou Shatou sauce is proud of its unique formula, and other bean curd and bean paste are also old names. In addition, some basic ingredients include soy sauce, onion, garlic, eggs, sesame oil, pepper and so on. And there are many styles. How to seek common ground while reserving differences depends on the unique deployment of each family.
These three kinds of hot pots are primitive and natural.
Generally speaking, there are basically only three kinds of hot pot. The first soup is mild, the raw slices are mainly rinsed, and dipping plays an important role. Mutton hot pot and Guangdong-style edge sealing furnace are the most representative. The second is that the materials in the pot are cooked, such as casserole fish head, mutton stove, and fire is only used for heat preservation and cooking. The third is that the ingredients in the pot are cooked, and even the dishes don't need to be scalded. Fire is completely used for heat preservation, just like cauldrons, such as Buddha jumping over the wall and Fuxing pot. It's the season of hot pot listing again. About three or five friends or a family get together. They can buy whatever they want, eat less meat, prepare more vegetables and fish, and don't mix the ingredients too salty. If you are not careful, you will eat too much salt, which is not good for your heart. Eating hot pot is the most primitive practice. Put whatever you want to eat, which is more comfortable, can keep fresh and is not greasy. This is a modern healthy diet.
Although the container, preparation method and seasoning of hot pot have evolved for thousands of years today, one thing in common has not changed, that is, burning the pot with fire, conducting heat with water (soup) and cooking (rinsing) food. This cooking method appeared as early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, which can be said to be the embryonic form of hot pot. It is recorded in Han Shi Zhuan that in ancient times, people ate "ringing bells to set up a tripod", that is, people gathered around the tripod, cooked beef and mutton in the tripod and shared them. This is the bud of hot pot. After the evolution of Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, there was no real record of hot pot until the Song Dynasty. Lin Hong, a Song Dynasty poet, mentioned eating hot pot in his "Mountain House for Clear Offering", which is called "offering by a woman". He said that when he was playing in Wuyishan and Shidao, he got a rabbit in the snow, and no chef made it. "Shi Yun, the mountains only use thin batch, cooking wine sauce pepper flow. Put a stove on the table, use half a glass of water, and when the soup rings, divide it into chopsticks so that it can be cooked in the soup. If you throw up, just eat it. " From the way of eating, it is similar to the current "rabbit hot pot".
It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that hot pot really flourished. On the tenth day of the first month of the forty-eighth year of Qing Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong hosted 530 tables of palace hot pot, which was the highest in the country at that time. When Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty ascended the throne, there was a "thousand banquets", and the number of hot pots used reached 1550, which was amazing.