People prepare delicious mutton and shrimps in a hot copper pot. [Photo/WeChat account of Baotou bureau of culture and tourism]

Mutton hotpot – with the pot, of course made of copper – is a much-loved delicacy for folks in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The soup base must be clear soup, while the requirements for the quality of the mutton are strict.

The most common preparation is to cut the mutton into squares and freeze them, and then use a sharp knife or a flaker to cut them into thin slices. But the more traditional and delicious way is to use fresh mutton slices and dip them in the dipping sauce before consuming them.  

The traditional dishes are relatively simple – mainly mutton, beef omasum, cabbage, vermicelli and frozen tofu. Today's restaurants are no longer limited to traditional dishes, so there is a wide variety.

Sesame sauce is the popular choice for ingredients. Chopped green onion, coriander and leek flower sauce are also popular, while chili oil can be added or subtracted according to personal taste.

Mutton hotpot also pays attention to the order of preparation. People put the mutton fat in the pot at the beginning, then use Chinese cabbage to absorb the oil in the soup pot. The Chinese cabbage increases the dish's sweetness through the mutton fat, which can prove simply irresistible for diners.