An Ever-Changing Dinner

My family, like any typical American family, celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas with traditional dinners that include turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. These enormous meals are always delicious and consistently test the limits of my waistband and while any normal person would probably stumble onto the couch and fall asleep in a food coma bliss, I always find myself eagerly anticipating dinner for the next day.

That’s because the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas is when my family cooks 打邊爐 (pronounced “da-bing-lo” but more commonly known in English as “hot pot”). Chinese hot pot consists of an actual hot pot filled with simmering stock that is placed in the middle of the table on some sort of electric or gas burner. Throughout the meal, various and diverse ingredients are placed into the pot and then cooked. These ingredients include meats such as thinly sliced pieces of chicken, shrimp, and fishballs; vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, and napa cabbage; and other delicious treats ranging from Chinese noodles to dumplings. After the food is cooked, it is generally served and dipped into bowls of various sauces.

There are two aspects of hot pot that I’ve come to appreciate. First, I enjoy how communal the meal is and how it brings everyone together.

Unlike Thanksgiving, which can be served with a side of NFL games, hot pot requires everyone to be gathered around the table because the meal is constantly being cooked and best eaten while hot.

Because some of the food can take some time to cook, it encourages conversation, which in my family means hilarious tales, discussions of the economy, and simple arguments over what goes into the pot next. In a day and age where it seems like the most interaction some people get is a like on Facebook or a Twitter Feud, it certainly is refreshing to be able to spend some time with loved ones.

The second thing that I love about hot pot is how the meal is constantly changing. Each new ingredient brings a refreshing change to the overall meal. What might initially start off as a meal of boiled vegetables and seafood can easily evolve into dumpling soup only to change into ramen. I suppose it can be seen as a metaphor (and a delicious one at that) where change is constantly around us and that sometimes it can be better to embrace it.

This post originally appeared on my personal blog.