The intriguing tastes of Shuicheng's 'three pots'

More recently, it also came to populate a "food neighborhood". Cichong Street, Douci Road and the surrounding area host about 30 restaurants specializing in the dish.

Cichong hotpot is acclaimed for its three quality ingredients — chicken, tofu and water.

The village's clear and slightly alkaline spring water is said to contain over a dozen minerals, including strontium, zinc and potassium. These are believed to not only offer health and flavor benefits but also endow local tofu with a tender texture that doesn't disintegrate even if boiled for a long time.

Free-range chicken is first fried with rendered pork fat and then boiled with hunks of yellow ginger, red garlic, potatoes, rice cakes and scallions. These steaming tidbits are served with bowls of buckwheat.

This hotpot variety is not only appreciated for its flavor and nutrition but also for helping balance the body's inner energy, especially by increasing warmth during winter.

Likewise, Shuicheng's goat meat soup is often referenced in the same breath as the food-as-medicine philosophy. That's especially since the free-range black mountain goats nibble on medicinal herbs, and the meal is said to enhance the flow of qi (energy) in the body. The diced meat is usually simmered with liver, heart and stomach in red or clear broth before it's dipped into spicy powder for additional heat.

Visitors to Shuicheng will discover why these "three pots" top its tables, how they've nourished local cuisine for centuries, and why they'll continue to flavor its future for many mealtimes yet to come.