Shabu Shabu Snow Crab. Photo: Courtesy of Shangri-la Hotel Shanghai

Thai Hotpot. Photo: Courtesy of Simply Thai

While there are literally hundreds of recipes for Chinese hotpot, the basic ingredients and preparation remain the same. The differences across China are largely dependent on local customs, climate and the availability of specific ingredients.

In Shanghai, there are many hotpot restaurants that are popular all year round, serving varieties of this staple dish according to the season. Chongqing and Cantonese style hotpot eateries, for example, can be found in almost every downtown shopping mall. The Chongqing yuanyang hotpot usually features a half spicy and half clear soup base, while the Cantonese hotpot is distinguished by its fresh seafood.

The Global Times went in search of some of the more unusual hotpot recipes around.

Let it snow

The Snow Crab Mini Hotpot innovatively uses the actual crab's shell in place of the pot. Inside, the soup base is made of roe from the snow crab and Japanese style miso soup. Snow crab meat from the claws is also added into the broth to enhance the flavor.

The mini pot is served sizzling hot while still cooking on a low flame. When presented to guests it is usually 50 percent cooked, with the crab roe condensing further at the dining table for another five minutes.

In Japanese tradition, a tiny amount of sake is usually added to the soup base.

And if you fancy something a little more substantial, you can opt for a regular-sized snow crab hotpot which uses Japanese soymilk and seaweed as the soup base. The dish contains no other meat or fish except the crab meat to maintain its unique flavor.

Nadaman Restaurant

Add: Shangri-la Hotel Shanghai, 33 Fucheng Road

Tel: 6882-8888

Spice it up

The Simply Thai chain of restaurants recently launched its Hotpot in Thai style, which uses the winter-friendly Tom Yum soup as a base.

The Tom Yum soup base is made with lemongrass, galangal, corindar root and prawn shells, ingredients which are mostly imported from Thailand. Although the Simply Thai dish is far lighter than the version you would find in a Bangkok eatery, you can always ask the kitchen to add more seasoning to the soup base.

When ordering the hotpot, you will receive a large bowl of vegetables, including mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, and another bowl of seafood and meat, including king prawns, mussels, fish, beef, chicken and pork. A single order of the hotpot at 168 yuan ($25) is enough for two people.

Another choice at Simply Thai is a clay pot featuring red curry seafood in hot spices.

Simply Thai

Add: 5 Dongping Road, close to Yueyang Road

Tel: 400-8807-729