I love Thanksgiving—what’s not to love about a day filled with delicious food? This year, we’re celebrating a bit late. My brother and his fiancée are visiting the first week of December, so we’re postponing our family feast until they’re here. However, we won’t be having the usual Thanksgiving spread on November 28. Instead, we’re planning to do hot pot!
I absolutely love hot pot! It’s a communal meal where raw ingredients like meats, seafood, vegetables, and tofu are cooked in a simmering pot of broth right at the table. It’s popular across many Asian cuisines, with variations like Sichuan (spicy), Cantonese (mild), and Mongolian (simple broth). The best part is that everyone cooks and eats at their own pace, often dipping the cooked items into delicious sauces. It’s such a fun, interactive meal that’s perfect for sharing with others. We usually skip the spicy Sichuan version and go for a Thai-style hot pot with a flavorful Tom Yum broth instead.
Making hot pot at home can be as affordable or as indulgent as you like. Sometimes we keep it simple with just one meat and some veggies, and other times we go all out with a variety of ingredients. But if you don’t feel like shopping and prepping everything yourself, there are plenty of hot pot restaurants around that make it easy to enjoy without the hassle!
Our hot pots are usually more vegetable-heavy than meat-based, especially as we get older and lean more towards veggies. The dipping sauces really elevate the experience too. While hot pot restaurants might offer ten or more different sauces, we keep it simpler at home. Our go-tos are Lao Gan Ma fried chili in oil, Mizkan Goma Shabu Sesame Sauce, and Kikkoman Ponzu—perfect for adding that extra flavor!
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family!
