Hot Pot火锅

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 they’re 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. 减缓

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。（剩余494字）