Hotpot is always the most well-known and popular dish in Chongqing no matter in hot summer or cold winter. It will be a regret along your Chongqing trip when you not to try hot pot. Chongqing locals consider the hotpot as a specialty of this place, which is famous for its spicy and hot flavor tasting scalding fresh and tender. Currently, Chongqing hotpot is favored by numerous people home and abroad attracting some tourists come Chongqing for eating hot pot.
It is said that it was the poor boatmen lived along Yangtze River who eat Chongqing hot pot at first in Chongqing area. Then it was spread to Sichuan province and accepted by local people quickly. Now it is a very well-known regional taste and can be discovered at every place of the town.
People sit around a small pot filled with tasty and healthy soup base. The pot may be boiled by various means of charcoal, electric or gas. You can have a choice of flavor: spicy, pure or combo for the soup. But for Chongqing or Sichuan locals, spicy hot pot is always the first choice and they enjoy the stimuli brought by hot pot. There are many kinds of hotpots, including Yuanyang (Double Tastes) hotpot, four flavor Pot, fish head hotpot, tonic hotpot, entire sheep hotpot, etc. Chongqing hotpot is characterized by its hot spiciness, but to suit customers of different preference, salty, sweet or sour flavors of hotpot are available. As long as you can bear the spiciness, you are recommended to try the spiciest one to make sure an genuine experience.
Slim chopped raw variety various meats, fish, various vegetable curd products and all kinds of vegetables are the main components for this delicacies. All of these are boiled in the soup, and then you can dip them into a little bowl of self-made sauce.
Chongqing people are fond of their hotpots, especially in winter. I once saw a set of pictures: a few people eating hot pot in snow mountain along their Chongqing travel. Hot spicy soup looks like more mouthwatering against white snow. The fire dances under the pot, the oiled and spiced broth comes with obscure steam, and the individuals are eating at full steam. Chongqing hotpot can be discovered wherever there are road providers or little dining places, it has the biggest wide range and is known for its delightful broth platform and dropping marinade. Flavored this conventional plate will be the first option of visitors who come here.
The most representative and famous types of hotpots are as follows:
Cattle-gut Hotpot
Hotpots are the noted dish in areas of Sichuan province, especially famous in Chongqing featuring hotness, heavy flavors and dense soup. The traditional Chongqing hotpot's materials include livestock courage, livestock waists, meat and other vegetables, being a real self-help course. Hotpot enjoys an time-honored history in China on China tourism.
Yuanyang Hotpot          
Yuanyang hotpot is noted for its special flavor. Actually, Yuanyang hotpot is a combination of the hot broth of conventional cattle-gut hotpot and the pure of mum hotpot. Thus it is recognized Sichuan Impressive Hotpot. The pot is separated into two sections by a copper slice in the middle.  One part is the package of hot broth, the other part is pure. The choice of hotpot's components is made the decision at your will.