火鍋成爲中國人氣最高餐食

China is home to diverse regional cuisines and a growing foreign food scene, but nothing tops the hotpot ritual of placing fresh ingredients into a boiling broth, according to a new survey.

中國有着多種不同菜系，近年來異域美食熱也開始日益上升，然而，根據一項最新調查顯示，它們都不能超越火鍋這種美食--即將多種新鮮的食材涮到滾燙的湯裏。

The survey, published by consulting firm OCC this week, found that hotpot is China's favorite meal. A total of 2,600 people the firm surveyed in 21 Chinese cities in February also placed domestic hotpot chain Haidilao at the top of the list of the country's 10 favorite restaurants.

歐析企業管理諮詢公司本週發佈的報告指出，火鍋是中國人氣最高的美食。此外，該公司2月份對中國21個城市2600個消費者的調查報告也顯示，國內的火鍋連鎖--海底撈在最受國人歡迎的TOP 10餐廳中高居榜首。

Others that made the top 10 included foreign fast food chains KFC and McDonald's as well as casual dining spots Pizza Hut and TGI Friday's.

其他進入前10的餐廳還包括外國快餐連鎖肯德基和麥當勞，以及休閒餐廳必勝客和星期五餐廳。

Hotpot was originally eaten to stave off the winter cold, but has become a favorite year-round food in China. Famous hotpot chains often have long lines of people waiting hours to get a table, even on scorching summer days.

吃火鍋原本是爲了在冬天禦寒，現在卻成了一種四季皆宜、非常受歡迎的食物。在知名的火鍋連鎖店，食客經常得排隊等候數小時，即便在炎炎夏日也是如此。

Data from Euromonitor International showed that seven of China's top 15 full-service restaurant chains specialize in hotpot.

來自歐睿國際的數據顯示，在中國TOP 15的全方位服務連鎖餐廳中，有7家都專營火鍋。

Stephen Dutton, an analyst with Euromonitor International, wrote in a recent research note that hotpot restaurants have become omnipresent nationwide, serving as go-to spots for social events and adapted for regional preferences. Much of hotpot's popularity, Dutton said, comes from the participatory nature of the cooking process and time available for socializing.

歐睿國際的分析師史蒂芬· 達頓在最近的一份研究報告中寫道，火鍋餐廳作爲一個社交活動的好去處，在國內到處都是，同時它也根據區域飲食偏好進行了改善。達頓表示，火鍋的高人氣主要來源於它整個烹飪過程的參與性以及社交活動的時效性。

OCC added that hotpot's success also lies in the customer service at leading chains. Restaurant chains such as Haidilao provide attentive service to customers, including entertainment, such as a dance performance in which waiters fling dough to make noodles.

此外，歐析還補充說明，火鍋的成功還源於這些領先的連鎖店的客戶服務。像海底撈這樣的連鎖餐廳還給食客們提供包括娛樂在內的貼心服務。比如，在服務員將麪糰製作成麪條的過程中會伴隨的舞蹈表演。