Though the best place in the country to savor the speciality is Chongqing in Southwest China, there is no shortage of places in Beijing where you can experience the real thing.

If you want to try an authentic one, Wang Gang Bo is a good place to start.

"The restaurant's name gangbo comes from the Chongqing dialect which means to chat," says Feng Li, the co-founder of the restaurant.

"We hope our guests enjoy chatting with friends while they eat hotpot."

The restaurant is located to the north of the Liangmaqiao embassy area.

For a meal for five to six people, the average cost per person is around 120 yuan ($18).

There is a health consideration for eating hotpot in the summer from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. Eating hotpot can burn off the excessive moisture.

Unlike Beijing-style hotpot broth which is largely flavorless, the Chongqing-style broth is heavily flavored.

The broth served at Wang Gang Bo has seven ingredients including chili pepper, Sichuan pepper and old ginger giving it a red color and a spicy taste.

For those who cannot eat spicy food, there are mushroom or pork broths.

The joy of eating hotpot comes from its do-it-yourself character.

The simmering pot is used to cook meat, seafood and vegetables. Lotus root is among the restaurant's current favorites.

There are also many ways to make the dipping sauces. "In the Chongqing-style recipe you mix sesame oil and mashed garlic, while the Beijing-style sauce uses salty sesame paste, fermented bean curd and leek flowers."

It is said that Chongqing hotpot was invented in the ports along the river by sailors and porters who sought a simple and cheap way to cook. This may explain why the typical raw ingredients to cook Chongqing hotpot are animal organs such as duck intestines, beef tripe and pork arteries－as they were leftovers from the markets near the ports.

For first-timers, the ingredients may be a bit difficult to stomach. But there is no shortage of choices－lamb, beef, seafood, potato, bamboo shoots, lettuce－for today's diners.

Contact the writer at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

11 am-2 am, daily. 15 Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang, Beijing. 010-5625-1178.