Food Culture-Sichuan Hotpot. Sichuan Hotpot is a participatory dining. Once the broth starts boiling, it is really a free-for-all.

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Sichuan Hotpot, Life's Hot Spot

Having been away from China for nearly 5 months, am I homesick? Having been fed on beef burgers, French fries, chicken wings and pizzas for the whole semester, am I missing a certain kind of food in China? What makes my mouth water now and then? What delicate flavor haunts me day and night? The memory mixed with a spicy, pungent and aromatic smell is welling up several times from my innermost heart, which gives the sole answer-Sichuan Hotpot.

I was born and have lived in Chengdu, Sichuan, which is the one of the most prosperous and thriving cities in the western part of China. Sichuan cuisine is known internationally. Sichuan (commonly spelled "Szechuan" in the U.S.), also known as the "heavenly country", is a province abundant in natural resources. From ancient writing, it is said people of Sichuan uphold good flavor and are fond of hot and spicy taste (Fu 9). Chengdu abounds in red chili pepper, so chili pepper oil gives a distinct flavor to many Sichuan dishes, and garlic, ginger and spices feature prominently in Sichuan cuisine (Marshall 126). However, when talking about Sichuan cuisine, many locals naturally