Hot Pot Guide
Hot Pot Dipping Sauces
Hot pot dipping sauces are built from condiments such as sesame paste, shacha sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, scallion, cilantro, chile oil, and fermented tofu.
Why this dish works
Hot pot sauce teaches menu literacy at the condiment level. The same cooked ingredients can taste northern, Sichuan, Cantonese, Taiwanese, or Southeast Asian depending on the dipping sauce.
Recipe at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Makes | 4 sauce styles |
| Time | 15 minutes |
| Core technique | Condiment balancing |
| Heat level | Mild to hot |
| Best with | Hot pot vegetables, meats, tofu, and noodles |
Ingredients
- Sesame paste or peanut butter
- Light soy sauce or tamari
- Black vinegar
- Chile oil
- Sesame oil
- Shacha sauce
- Fermented tofu, optional
- Garlic, scallions, cilantro
- Sugar, salt, or water as needed
- Optional: oyster sauce, fish sauce, crushed peanuts
Method
- For northern sesame sauce, mix sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, a little sugar, and water until pourable.
- For Sichuan-style sauce, mix chile oil, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and scallions.
- For Taiwanese shacha sauce, mix shacha, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and cilantro.
- For a simple light sauce, mix soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and scallions.
- Taste each sauce and adjust salt, sourness, heat, and thickness.
- Keep allergen and dietary restrictions separate.
- Serve in small bowls.
Variations and substitutions
- Use sunflower seed butter instead of sesame or peanut for some allergy needs.
- Make a no-garlic Buddhist vegetarian version with sesame paste, vinegar, and tamari.
- Use only vinegar, chile oil, and scallion for a lighter sauce.
- Add fermented tofu for a stronger northern sauce.