Chongqing Hot Pot 重庆火锅
Chongqing hot pot is the original and most intense form of mala hot pot. Born from Chongqing dock workers who slow-simmered cheap offal cuts in spicy broth, it is heavier, oilier, …
What Is Chongqing Hot Pot Hot Pot?
Chongqing hot pot is the original and most intense form of mala hot pot. Born from Chongqing dock workers who slow-simmered cheap offal cuts in spicy broth, it is heavier, oilier, and more pungent than the Chengdu version. The broth is darker, the chilies are whole and abundant, and the flavors are more raw and aggressive.
Compared to Sichuan/Chengdu mala, Chongqing hot pot uses more tallow, more whole dried chilies (not ground), and a more pungent doubanjiang. Chongqing locals often eat the broth itself — ladling it into bowls of rice after the meal. The experience is louder, messier, and more primal.
Best Ingredients
🥩 Meats & Proteins
- Maodu (毛肚) — the defining Chongqing ingredient
- Pork aorta (黄喉) — 5-8 sec, crunchy
- Duck intestine — 5 sec
- Thin beef — 5 sec, extremely tender
- Beef tendon (牛蹄筋) — slow cook 10+ min
🥬 Vegetables & Tofu
- Potato slices (土豆) — soaks up chili oil
- Lotus root
- Bean sprouts
- Fatty tofu skin
- Konjac (魔芋) — spongy, absorbs broth well
🥣 Dipping Sauce
Classic Chongqing style uses sesame oil (香油) only — no paste. Just a small bowl of sesame oil with garlic. Some locals add green onion. The simplicity lets the broth's complexity be the star.
🔢 Cooking Order
Maodu and pork aorta go in first (very brief dip). Then beef. Then vegetables and konjac. Noodles at the very end, eaten when the broth is at peak flavor.
Pro Tips for Chongqing Hot Pot
Order extra sesame oil — it cools the palate between spicy bites
Pork aorta (黄喉) must be cut into rings and cooked 5-8 sec max — it snaps like a thick rubber band when right
Bring wet wipes — Chongqing hot pot stains clothes with chili oil
The leftover oily broth poured over rice is an unofficial Chongqing tradition
🍲 How Locals Eat It
Chongqing restaurants are loud and informal. Plastic bibs are common and expected. Outdoor roadside hot pot (露天火锅) in Chongqing is its own experience — plastic stools, cigarette smoke, and the best broth you will ever have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chongqing uses more oil, whole dried chilies, and a simpler dipping sauce (just sesame oil). Sichuan (Chengdu) style is more refined, uses sesame paste sauce, and has a more balanced broth. Chongqing is the original; Chengdu is the polished version.
The aorta of a pig or cow. It has a distinctive honeycomb-like cross-section, very crunchy texture, mild flavor. It is one of the most popular offal cuts in Chongqing hot pot and almost impossible to find outside China.