Steamboat galore....

Wonder how the name steamboat got its name??I think it must be the rounded metal bowl that looks like a boat where we put in our food to cook and the steam coming out from the bowl ... ? waiting to be corrected...In the olden days steamboat uses charcoal to heat up the bowl.I do not have a picture of the original steamboat using charcoal...will try to post it next time when I got the pic. This steamboat has a chimney-like tube in the middle of the bowl where you put in the burning charcoal . There is a hole at the bottom of the steamboat for.. the ashes to filter through and to fan air into the chimney to light up the fire...what a hassle..Steamboat of the present day uses gas and electricity. Even the rice cooker can be use as steamboat if you do not have one at home.

Steamboat are quite easy to prepare if you have all the ingredients. In fact you can put anything into the steamboat. to cook. The only thing a steamboat needs is to cook up some good stock beforehand. Nowadays there are many variety of stocks you can get from many steamboat restaurant...tomyam,...herbal....fish stock....and so on.....Here in Malaysia we use to have many varieties of beancurd call towfu,, fish slices , fishball, squids and squid balls, sea cucumber,,, oyster, crabsticks, cuttlefish, quail eggs, chicken meat, beef slices, vegetables, noodles and so on..to be put into the prepared stock to cook. A lovely chicken stock cook from bones with some onions,celery and carrots is just as good . You can prepare some sauces like soya sauce with chilli or sambal for dipping with the cooked food. I like to have steamboat for gatherings. It is more fun or 'lau 'juak besides you can prepare more variety of food to be finish up..