Steamboat/firepot

Diners use chopsticks to pick up raw ingredients and put them in a wire spoon or strainer, which is then immersed in a broth bubbling away in the pot. Up to 12 people can eat from them at once.

More or less anything can go into the pot as long as it is fairly lean. (The resulting soup is drunk at the end of the meal, so you don't want it swimming with fat.) Chunks of lean meat and poultry, liver, fish and seafood are all good. You can also include tofu, spring onions, carrots and pak choi.

The pots are made of aluminium, brass or tin. They are shaped like a moat with a hollow funnel in the middle. The moat is filled with stock or water, and heated by charcoal or gas.

There are also electric models fitted with a thermostat to prevent over-boiling. These are safer and easier to use, but don't have the rustic charm of a charcoal-fuelled pot.

It's a good idea to sit the pot on a piece of heavy wood or slate to prevent your table from scorching. If you use charcoal, beware of flying sparks.