The Significance of Hot Pot in My Life

The Significance of Hot Pot in My Life

       When I was in junior high school, I remember my Chinese teacher used to explain, “Life is a dish.” Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, all of these flavors constitute the appearance of life. I have always believed that this is a vivid metaphor about life. However, more specifically, I would like to explain how my life looks like a hot pot.

A pot of hot water is tasteless and bland and you can decide whatever ingredients you like. Hot pot can be complex and appetizing with fish, meats, and vegetables or it can also be simple with the real taste of a cooking material. It just depends on what you like. I used to look for hot pot sauce in every Asian supermarket when I first came to United States. Afterwards, I invited my friends to come to my home, regardless of nationalities. I prepared hot pot, asking all friends to sit around the table with steam coming from it and to share the grand one-pot meals. Some friends said they know Chinese love to eat hot pot, but I am the one who loves to eat hot pot the most. Some friends said I make the hot pot delicious and they asked me to prepare more ingredients next time.

However, they did not know how much time and effort I spend in order to modulate the best soup of the hot pot. How to stir up fresh shrimp with smooth egg sauce patiently; the best proportion of tomatoes, jujubes, gingers, and garlics in the soup is 5:4:3:2. The next step after vegetables is fish and tofu instead of meat and crab so as to make sure the soup can be guaranteed delicious; cooking time can take from 20 seconds to 15 minutes, depending on the type of food. You may not imagine that a simple hot pot needs to consider so many things. However, I learnt all of these secrets about cooking from my mom. My mom always asks me to select the ingredients, no matter what I choose, she tells me I must take them seriously and passionately. Like my life, my family always gives me the maximum freedom and support to do what I want. I put different flavors in the hot pot as I choose to experience different events in my life.

Back to 10 years ago, I always yelled to eat out after school and when I was ordering, my mom always said she could do the same dishes at home. She was most reluctant to eat hot pot in the restaurant. My family has two types of people who love food. The first type is my father and my aunt. They are able to evaluate the quality of food, but they are not willing to cook in the kitchen. The second type is my mom and I. We not only eat food but also are passionate about cooking. Every time my dad goes to buy lamb to prepare hot pot, my mom can tell the level of fresh directly. If the lamb were not very freshness, my mom would not cook and eat. Her stringent requirements of food trained my nose and tongue. During this spring break, I went to Flushing, New York City. In Flushing’s Chinatown, my nose smelt the good sesame butter, chive flower paste, and pickled tofu far away from the shelf. I bought three bottles and spent more than 20 USD shipping fee to go back to Denver. To me, delicious hot pot condiments can provide me the great energy to keep studying at night and to relieve homesickness. To enjoy a cuisine is a good reward for my hard work.

 I used to think my mom’s requirements about food must associate with her profession. Even though she deals with work strictly, she knows how to enjoy life during free time. I inherited her strengths. I insist the pot must be made of ceramic just like I must use the finest components to complete my professional project. I love different flavors of hot pot, such as spicy, a clear soup, and tomato’s flavor, just like I enjoy to experience different culture shock. I learn French; I visit different countries; I decide to study abroad in Hong Kong. However, I did not know that the way my mom taught me to cook hot pot embodies her love for me. I even did not realize the moment whenever we sit around and eat hot pot together is the great happiness in my life until I had the first Spring Festival in the United States.

Indeed, a grand hot pot also means friendship and acceptance. An important sign of Chinese people when they want to get familiar with you is to share a chair for you at dinner. For instance, if you look for a seat with a tray in a cafeteria but not a single Chinese person greets you or if you see a photo of a group of people around the hot pot on Facebook and find you have not been invited. It means, sorry, you are not in this network. Last year in Spring Festival, I had to prepare for two midterm exams and I did not know a lot of Chinese people in Denver. I felt lonely until a not very familiar friend invited me to eat hot pot at his dorm. A meal of hot pot always takes two hours or more, it means you have a lot time to chat with others at the same table. Hot pot is different from other dishes, sharing a hot pot is the best way to get familiar with other people. I was acquainted with my best friend in Denver during the time we waited for our hot pot food.

Many people believe that the hot pot is very simple and easy; however, the choice of ingredients and the preparation of seasoning ask me to maintain a positive and optimistic life attitude. The flavor of hot pot helps me to reduce pressure and homesickness. More importantly, sharing hot pot help me know more friends. The significance of hot pot is a microcosm to display the significance that food has in my life. There are a lot of proverbs about food in China. The most common one translated in English is that food is the paramount necessity of people. I have always believed that one’s passion for cuisine is the best way to display one’s positive attitude towards life.

Response to Nicholson and Ahn's articles

       According to the two articles, “Eating White” and “Home Run: My Journey Back to Korean Food” written by Geoff Nicholson and Roy Ahn, I see a close link between food and family, or food and hometown. Even though Nicholson and Ahn live in different places and have different experiences, both of them believe that the significance of home meals are to in memory of their parents as well as to inherit a specific culture. Food always tell others who you are.

       In the first article, Nicholson was born and grew up in Sheffield. He cooked a memorial meal himself in order to seek an association and recall things about his mother. His mother lived in England all her life and had experienced WWII, “a time when milk and cream were among the many foods rationed in England, a time when there were bigger things to worry about than cholesterol (Nicholson 22). Historical associations or maybe the time of widow led Nicholson’s mother like the white food, such as white milky coffee, milk puddings, creamy soups, and vanilla ice cream. In Nicholson’s eyes, white food, or food in color white, embodies his mom’s idea of comfort food and comfort life. His mom tried to find a comfortable lifestyle and persisted a white soul in her lifetime. Nicholson emphasizes the relationship between white food and purity, “white food meant a white soul (22).” We have to recognize that sometimes food has connected to one’s cultural identity and religion pursuit.

Indeed, food is not only embodies a period of specific experiences and your cultural identities, but also means a connections to your close relatives and a record of your growth. In the second article, Ahn describes he was confound himself when he was confusing galbi-tang and galbi-chim in a Korean restaurant. Ahn is a typical Korean-American. After his parents passed away, he was afraid of the loose of connection between himself and Korean culture. He recalled his different pursuit of food, which reflected his unique growth stages. For instance, he used to in opposition to his parents when they asked what food he like in his childhood; As a teenager, he tried to obtain a same identity in school and thus eat same food with his friends. However, after his parents’ death and his child were born, he began to wake up to the meaning of Korean food in his life and his son’s life. Tha is, the food reflect their ethnic roots.

It’s always true that our favorite food is always the taste of home. Food sometimes not only means a cultural identity but also means a connection to close relatives. I try to remember my childhood. Like Ahn, when I was a little girl, I was looking forward to eating outside everyday and in opposition to my parents. The reason was I thought my grandparents always cooked the same thing, such as fried rice, fried bean sauce noodle, or dumplings. However, I cannot describe how much I miss these home dishes after I study abroad. Two years ago, I could not imagine that to eat a Chinese meal every week would become one of the happiest things in my life. There are few Asian in Denver and I have to drive a long distance to find a Chinese supermarket. Last quarter, I wanted to eat mom’s noodles and buy all materials I need. My mom taught me how to cook step by step in Skype, but there was still miss some flavors. I guessed what I lose is the taste of home. Even though I can eat Michelin three star restaurants in America, whenever I am tired and hungry, the most I want to eat is my parent’s cook at home. I know it combines their love and my sense of belonging. 

Reflection of the Most Recent Meal

After reading the most recent meal that my classmates had eaten, I find that only a few students eat breakfast and emphasize the importance of breakfast. They prefer to sleep more instead of to get up earlier and to eat breakfast. Most students describe their last meal eaten was dinner; some ate on campus while some ate at their vocation place. They really enjoy the mealtime with their friends or family members. In addition, place is as important as accompanying person when they go out for a meal. Eating out can often make student happy because they dislike the food on campus. According to the blogs, I find that dining outside the campus is in contrast to dining inside the campus. It is interesting to compare the different food descriptions. Different experiences show that DU should improve the quality of food on campus.