冬天，最适合大家围坐在一起，吃一锅热气腾腾的火锅。千里不同风，百里不同俗，我国的火锅花色纷呈，千锅百味，最常吃的一种就是以麻辣著称的川渝火锅，底料要用大量的牛油来炒，这样才能把辣椒、花椒等香辛料的香辣味封存起来，再兑上炖牛肉的高汤，红油汤底就会散发出浑然一体的浓烈香气，与食材一起激发出呛辣又醇厚的味道。

China’s hot pot has a history of more than 1,000 years. There are five major hot pot categories, namely Sichuan spicy style, Northern style, Jiangsu and Zhejiang style, Yunnan style and Guangdong style, which are based on geographic location. Sichuan spicy hot pot, probably the most well-known style in China, is famous for its numbing and spicy flavor. Its typical broth is made from Sichuan pepper, chili, chili oil and other spicy ingredients. Don't forget to make yourself a "tailor-made" dipping sauce as there are so many different ingredients that you can choose from: sesame sauce, chili oil, garlic, scallion, Sichuan pepper, seafood sauce, and vinegar, among others. Typical Sichuan hot pot dipping sauces are sesame oil sauce and chili sauce.

另一种北方人常吃的铜锅涮羊肉是老北京地道的火锅吃法，制作非常简单，只需要铜锅、清水和葱姜等作为锅底，这也是为了最大限度保证羊肉的鲜美。关于羊肉的选择，最讲究的吃法不能选羊肉冻卷，而应选新鲜羊肉手切片，用筷子一提溜，变色后捞出即可享用。

Different from Sichuan style, northern-style hot pot uses a white-colored soup base, with medlars, mushrooms, dates and green Chinese onions in it. Instead of being spicy, the soup is luscious and fresh. The typical northern-style hot pot is also called Beijing copper hot pot, which goes perfectly with paper-thin lamb slices. Local residents dip the lamb into a sesame sauce containing fermented bean curds and green onions.

（点击观看视频，了解关于火锅的介绍）

当在国外提到hotpot，外国人第一反应可能是“土豆炖肉”，而他们常吃的火锅叫fondue“奶酪火锅”，这是去瑞士旅游必尝品之一。瑞士当地人会用白葡萄酒将芝士融化，裹住烤硬的小面包、小土豆和各种蔬菜块一起食用。寒冷的冬天，瑞士人的一大乐趣就是全家围坐在一起吃奶酪火锅。

Just think of Chinese communal hot pot and replace the broth with a pot of melting cheese with varying dips – that’s fondue. In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union promoted it as Switzerland’s national dish in the 1930s. It might not be the national dish now but it certainly has become an international favorite. If you’re in Switzerland, it’s a must try. Unfortunately, it’s not something you can pack for home – alternately, you could pick up the recipe and bring home caquelon, réchaud (加热器) and the long-stemmed forks.

如果用英语说人们爱吃糖葫芦，可以说“Tanghulu’s appealing to the Chinese sweet tooth”，sweet tooth不是“甜牙齿”，而是“喜爱甜食的人”。

冬天来了，北京的大街小巷四处可见卖冰糖葫芦的小摊，鲜红、晶莹、味道酸酸甜甜，清脆可口的“冰糖葫芦”是秋冬时节中国北方人的最爱。“冰糖葫芦”其实与 “葫芦”毫无关系，只是用竹签串成的果子，其形状酷似“葫芦”。“冰糖葫芦”制作非常简单，它的主要原料是山楂，用竹签串成串后蘸上熬好的糖稀，糖稀遇到冷空气迅速变硬，就成了晶莹剔透、鲜红亮丽的糖葫芦。

As soon as the weather gets cold in northern China, you’ll see a lot of vendors in the street selling a delicious traditional delicacy – bingtang hulu, or tanghulu for short. This snack, which originated in Beijing and Tianjin, traditionally consists of hawthorn fruit (also known as “shanzha”) glazed in hard candy and skewered on a 20-centimeter-long bamboo stick. The fruit’s texture is similar to an apple’s, with a crunchy skin and a sweet and sour taste on the inside.

（点击观看视频，了解关于糖葫芦的介绍）

冬日里凛冽的寒风刮走了零散的树叶，却带不走这红彤彤的果子。刚摘下的柿子硬而涩，放在温水里浸泡一宿，或是和苹果等成熟的鲜果封口放在一起催熟去涩，制成的“醂（lǎn）柿子”脆而甜，还具备营养价值。冬季三九天的冻柿子最好吃，要是遇到下雪天，躲在屋里看外面天寒地冻，烤着火炉吃着冻柿子，真是“热的一身汗，凉的打冷颤”，那感觉倍儿爽！放久的柿子汁水更加充足，冰凌琼浆的，在过去就是孩子们的“冰激凌”，也难怪老北京人把吃柿子叫“喝了蜜”。柿子吃到最后，还有几个脆脆的“小舌头”，很多人就惦记着这口。

Persimmon is a typical winter fruit in China’s northern city. In the past, people often froze mature persimmons to keep them in storage. By putting the persimmons in slightly warm water to let the ice thaw, the flesh inside would become soft and sweet making them a delicious snack for any occasion. Persimmon trees are still easy to find in Beijing. When matured, the fruits hanging on the trees look like red lanterns.

除了frozen persimmon外，还有另全国人民叹为观止的冻梨frozen pear，颜色乌黑，吃起来却爽口绵密。