Tag: pot

Hot pot trend: the fire pot from China to Milan – Italian Cuisine


The years pass and the trends change, from the boom bao to the ravioli jiao, now in Milan the Chinese hot pot arrives, the winter comfort food not to be missed

If in the West the hot pot is the new food trend, in China actually has very ancient origins. Since man has had a fire-resistant container in which to cook his food, through the simple and effective cooking technique of boiling, we can speak of hot pot, or rather huǒguō 火锅 , literally a pot of fire, where huǒ 火 is fire and guō 锅 pot. A traditionally copper pot, placed in the center of the table, to be shared with friends and relatives, in which to cook fish, meat or vegetables completely immersed in boiling and mumbling broths, fed by a continuous flame while supplies last.

This is the pot of fire, don't call it Chinese fondue

Having ascertained that in China thehot pot takes the name of fire potwhy cripple this symbolic and intuitive name in an appellation that has no sense of existing in this context? Do you want to confuse ideas? We try to clarify and give the right names to things. The word fondue it has French origins and the donkey already falls here, then if we really wanted to denaturalise the clarity that underlies the writing and the Chinese language, we might as well call it Chinese fondue and no Chinese fondue, so at least we don't snobbish and talk like we eat, Italian. It goes without saying that we should then analyze the word "fondue" (Piedmontese dish consisting of a thick cream obtained by melting fontina cheese in a bain-marie, mixed with cream and egg yolks) says the Treccani dictionary. And here comes another inconsistency since in the fire pot there is no presence of cheeseindeed it is known that in China cheese does not exist and is not consumed, they only eat tofu. And if they drink milk, it is soy or from other cereals or legumes, but it certainly does not contain lactose, a bomb of active ferments ready to explode in the stomachs of the Chinese, not used to it. If we want to make the picky ones the fondue involves the cooking technique in a bain marie, and only later, to keep the fondue constantly creamy, the cauqelon (the pot used for the fondue) is placed on a special iron structure with a candle lit at the bottom, but nothing to do with the living flame of the fire that burns under the copper pot and in the hearts of the Chinese when they think of the huǒguō 火锅.

The republic of the pot

«He is eighty-six years old, she eighty-five. He is her old husband, and she is his old wife. For a lifetime he has been behind her and her character, to her who takes care of the house and to her whims, who combines her clothes and on New Year's Eve she polishes the four valuables they have at home: a pair of bowls, two pairs of silver chopsticks and a copper fire pot …

They like the fire pot, which then brought them together. In the fifties of the last century, when they were young, they went to Donglaishun restaurant on weekends. At the time, there was the "republic of the pot", to the delight of young people of marriageable age, male and female. In practice, people shared the pot, including broth, without knowing each other. Inside it was divided into small sectors, a bit like today's offices. Each had his own, where he dipped the mutton and the ordered dishes. The cost of the broth and the table was divided according to the number of people. Practical and economic …

The "republic of the pot" created a festive atmosphere of harmony and conviviality …
(Adapted from Huoguo, Tie Ning – The fire pot, translation Silvia Pozzi).

My republic of the pot I lived it in the autumn-winter between 2016 and 2017, the semester in which I lived the most beautiful experience of my life, in China of course. In southern China, in Guìyáng 贵阳 (capital of the province of Guizhou), precisely in the district of Huāxī 花溪 区 , just outside the dormitory. Here I was able to experience the real China, the rural one, of the farmers with their panniers on their shoulders and the street vendors, with a cart to be rescued at the passage of bulky vehicles and to be towed home. China of small yuan restaurants and self-share fire pot. Self because everyone is given a tray on which to place the desired dishes, in this way quantity and quality are before your eyes, just like in a self service. But super share as the choice of broth is made in common agreement with the companions of the pot (usually two types, one of meat Ròu tāng 肉汤 and one of vegetables 蔬菜 汤 Shūcài tāng).

There is no limit to sharing, the friends around the huoguo can also be 5 or 6, but be careful not to overdo the invitations otherwise you may find yourself juggling with battles of chopsticks at the last trick.

A real treasure hunt, a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, or rather the Chinese "like fishing a needle in the sea" jiù xiàng zài hǎilǐ lāo zhēn yīyàng 就像 在 海里 捞 针 一样. So be careful not to dip all the spoils of your trays in one go and to cook the ingredients a few at a time to facilitate the operation catch the gruel. Certainly it is not a dish for those who are beginners with chopsticks, but you can always count on the shrewd friends who will be happy to recover some piece of meat, fish or vegetables, to accompany an inexpensive pebble of white rice bái mǐfàn白 米饭.

That's how I met some of the first Chinese friends on campus, sharing a traditional fire pot. I still remember my first huoguo, it was one evening in late October and it was still not too cold in Guiyang. So the restaurants just outside the dormitory still offered the dinner under the stars option, with colored plastic stools and tables equipped to host Spartan Hot Pots. From that evening onwards when the numbness of the cold crept into the bones, it was enough to take courage go down 7 floors of the dormitory and do not think about returning (another 7 flights of stairs without a lift to do), for a comfortable warm dinner this and more. The broth that bubbled, the smoke that rose and that like a fog bank did not allow you to see beyond the fumera the friend in front of you. The fogged glasses, and the tongue burnt with heat, this for me is the taste of China, this is the pot of fire.

Where to eat the fire pot in Milan

Starting from the beating heart of the Milanese chinatown, we populate two addresses in the Paolo Sarpi area:

Little Lamb (two rooms, one in Paolo Sarpi 8 and the other in via Bernina 43, Maciachini area) entirely dedicated to the traditional Chinese hot pot, with tables equipped to host steaming pots of fire. Disposable placemat menu on which to tick your choices, 10 different broths and a selection of meats, fish, vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, meatballs, skewers, rice, spaghetti and sauces.

168 Chinese Township (viale Jenner 29, Maciachini area) majestic restaurant structured in several rooms, one of which is entirely dedicated to the hot pot. Technological order with tablet, 8 broths on the list and a large variety of fish, meat, offal, tofu, vegetables, rice and pasta to accompany and dip in the broths.

Ba Hot Pot (viale Certosa 32) here the pot of fire is the protagonist of the scene, several broths to choose from and numerous alternatives of meat, fish and vegetables and some more risky proposals such as duck black pudding.

Carnivore Union (two rooms, one in via Padova 26 and the other in viale Nazario Sauro 5) perhaps one of the first restaurants to offer the hot pot in Milan, the first address in via Padova has tables set up for the fire pot, while the one in the Zara area has free tables on which to place spartan electric hotplates for the hot pot, a more practical but certainly less suggestive solution. As for the choice of delicious broths and many delicacies, in addition to the classic slices of meat, fish and vegetables, skewers, ravioli, pickled vegetables, udon, fried rice and for the most daring dishes such as lamb kidney and beef tendon.

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The Pot Museum, #CiPiace! – Italian Cuisine


The Pot Museum of Rozzano is the only one in the world that collects and presents only cooking tools. Founded in 1985 by AMC Italia, it is the right place for all lovers of history and cuisine

There are museums of all kinds, but this is really unusual: the Museo della Pentola di Rozzano (Milan) it is the only one in the world that collects and presents cooking tools only and exclusively. We have seen kitchen memorabilia telling the past of peoples in various museums, such as the British Museum in London or the Egyptian Museum in Turin, for example, but a focus so detailed ever. This is an original exhibition that honors Italy, the nation that perhaps more than many others links its history and its culture to food. Thinking about it was the AMC Italy, the national branch of the historic German company, world leader in the sector of high quality stainless steel cooking systems for a healthy and tasty diet.

Yesterday

The Museum of Pots in History, this is the full name, was founded in 1985 by AMC Italia. It took almost five years before it took the final form we can see today. In fact, its organization began in 1980 with the search throughout the national territory for unique specimens of cooking tools, many of which were donated by clients or consultants of the company. The Director of the Archaeological Museum of Milan and the Museums of the Sforzesco Castle, professor Ermanno Arslan, and the Director of the National Museum of Science and Technology "Leonardo da Vinci" of Milan, the engineer Orazio Curti. Chosen the best and most representative pieces, these have been restored and dated according to the criteria of archaeological museums. The seriousness and accuracy of the research led to the official reporting by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, a recognition not just confirming its validity and cultural contribution.

Today

Open on weekdays by appointment, the Pot Museum it is located in the modern 4000sqm headquarters of AMC Italia in Rozzano in the province of Milan. The collection goes from the third century BC to the present day, represented by the innovation of their famous "smart" cookware sets. Exciting to retrace the steps of human evolution through the progress in cooking tools, those that have allowed man to stop simply surviving but finally to live with taste.

The discovery of metals in Prehistory is the turning point, represented in Rozzano by the precious Cala Gonone cauldron, an archaeological find found in Sardinia and dating back to the II millennium BC With a hole of a few centuries due to the scarcity of metals and the need to recycle them, time travel from 1200 onwards is resumed. To the Pot Museum you can see with your own eyes Stovador or Stofeja in terracotta from 1500, la southern style from 1700 up to the precious Piedmontese bronzin from 1800. From the nineteenth century the pieces exposed ever closer to our reality procure a thrill of nostalgia (the first pressure cooker is really exciting to see!) until the date of 1963.

Tomorrow

The pot has always been a container for cooking, a gap between food and fire, as long as the AMC transforms it into a smart tool to promote a correct, healthy and tasty diet. Founded in 1963 and present in Italy since 1970, the company uses stainless steel Alfametal (from which the name derives), which allows to exploit in an innovative way the water vapor and the liquids contained in the food thus keeping the precious vitamins and mineral substances unchanged. In the sixties the first series of AMC batteries are numbered 25 and 27, followed by series 28 and 29 which have brought important innovations such as Atmosphere, or cooking away from the stove, and the first generation of Secuquick. The latter is the strategic name of the fast cooking lid patented by AMC, which makes it possible to shorten cooking times considerably, also thanks to the acoustic signal Audiotherm.

The series M30 is the latest generation of kitchen tools signed AMC, which allows us to confirm the philosophy that sees them ambassadors of well-being and healthy and tasty nutrition in the family. In fact, the food remains compact, it does not lose liquid, the use of condiments is limited with a saving of time up to 50-80% – how about a risotto ready in 10 minutes? If you then add the mobile ceramic glass hob that can be controlled via Bluetooth, called Navigenio, the future is today.

Even the distribution of the product is alternative: with the focus of always putting the customer at the center, everything happens through home party organized throughout Italy by a sales network of over 1700 consultants – fun fact: in 2018 82,000 parties were organized!

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How to use the wok? Useful tips and advice on the Chinese pot – Italian Cuisine

wok pot steam cooking grill fried read recipes Italian cuisine


The wok is suitable for many types of cooking to prepare many light and tasty dishes in no time. Here's how to use it

Looking for one pot suitable for all types of cuisine? Ideal for frying, browning and steaming? If you still do not know it or have never used it we will present it to you: here is the wok! Its origin is Chinese, but it has long been that this pot has crossed into Italian borders and is used by many chef, even for very common recipes. There are various types of them on the market dimensions (usually between 26 and 34 cm), with removable and very light handle.

Why use the wok

THE advantages of cooking with the wok there are so many. The conical shape of this pot, just to give an example, causes the heat to radiate uniformly over the entire surface, making the cooking food much faster. Thanks to the cooking speed, food does not lose its precious ingredients nutritional substances of which they are composed and the types of cuisine usually heavier – such as fried – they are lighter because less oil and less time will be needed. It should also not be underestimated how perfect this pot is to prepare more foods at the same time.

Tips for learning to use the wok

But which ones technical should I use it to optimize the use of the wok in the kitchen? Here is 5 advice fast.

1) Whether it is steamed, fried or simply sautéed, the trick is to do fast. The wok, in fact, loses its peculiarities when the preparation time becomes longer.
2) To cook steamed with the wok, don't forget the special basket.
The wok can also be used with one grid resting on the top of the pot. All the fats will fall in the lower part of the wok and allow you to cook light and tasty dishes.
3) When inserted into the wok more ingredients to be cooked together remember to mix them transversally and not circularly, making them stick as closely as possible to the very hot walls of the pot.
4) Combining a cover at the wok you can easily stew your food or thicken the sauces you are preparing.
5) When will be the turn of to wash the pot after using it, pass it under hot water with a sponge to remove the dirt. The non-stick walls the wok will be cleaned quickly and – except in some cases with more encrusted dirt – you will not even need dish detergent.

wok pot steam cooking grill fried read recipes Italian cuisine

The dishes you can prepare with the wok

After these tips it is time to give some examples of dishes which you can easily prepare using the wok. Let's start with a great classic: i Pad Thai, the famous Thai noodles that, thanks to the kitchen in the wok, will be ready in a very short time. If we talk about long pasta we can not remember the noodles, traditional Chinese spaghetti that are perfectly prepared with this fantastic pan. If you want something more complex but definitely tasty, you can try your hand at preparing steamed ravioli, meat and vegetables – the famous ones dumpling – with the wok that will be your precious ally during cooking.

Even the cooking of rice, with the use of wok in recipes like the Cantonese rice and the most classic of the saffron risotto they will be faster and simpler. Not to mention a second dish with a Thai flavor vegetables and ham.

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