For hundreds of years, possibly much longer, hot pot has always been one of China's most popular foods. It is so popular that people joke any problem can be solved over hot pot. With a hot pot， you can put in any ingredient（食材）that you like. The same pot can serve meals to all the people sitting around the table. No one is left out, and everyone gets to eat as much or as little as they want. The fire from a hot pot can melt just about any icy disagreement and warm just about any heart.
Perhaps the most popular kind of hot pot is Sichuan hot pot, with its spicy red peppers. What makes Sichuan hot pot different from other hot pots is the use of huajiao. It also has the strange effect of making the red peppers taste even hotter.
Beijing hot pot uses lamb and many of the same ingredients as Sichuan hot pot, but has a lighter taste. The Northeast Chinese hot pot usually contains pork and pickled cabbage， while Guangdong hot pot uses a chicken or a fish broth（汤底）. .
In every city and town in China, there are hot pot restaurants crowded with people eating, talking and laughing. You can choose your own favorite ingredients.
Even in the West, you can easily make it. First, buy a Chinese hot pot broth mix from an Asian market. And you need a large pot. More importantly, you need to have some friends to share your food with.
A. This spice is mouth-numbing.
B. And it is easy to cook hot pot in your own house.
C. Many Chinese don't agree on what food is the best.
D. Sichuan food is famous for its red peppers and huajiao.
E. Nearly as famous as Sichuan hot pot is Beijing hot pot.
F. It is known for its wide range of ingredients, including seafood.
G. This shows the Chinese cultural values of openness and sharing.
