When boiling red oil pans roll in restaurants in Manhattan, New York, when young people on the streets of London hold up their phones to shoot the "tripe up and down" cooking ceremony, when Tokyo izakaya combines Shouxi shao with spicy hotpot creativity - Chinese hotpot is breaking through the boundaries of region and taste with its unique culinary cultural charm, becoming the "new favorite" of overseas catering markets. However, from "cultural curiosity" to "daily consumption", from "niche tasting" to "popular pursuit", the overseas promotion of hotpot requires precise market insights, localized adaptation strategies, and diversified communication methods.

1、 Overseas Hotpot Market: A 'Blue Ocean' with Potential and Challenges Coexisting

In recent years, with the acceleration of the globalization of Chinese cuisine and the deepening of international cultural exchanges, the acceptance of hotpot in overseas markets has continued to rise. According to relevant catering industry data, the growth rate of hotpot stores in the overseas Chinese food market in 2023 will reach 18%, far exceeding the overall growth rate of Chinese food, with North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia becoming the three core markets. But behind the opportunities, the promotion challenges are equally significant:

1. Differences in Taste Perception: From "Spicy Fear" to "Flavor Adaptation"

The acceptance of "spicy" among overseas consumers shows significant regional differentiation: the Southeast Asian market has a higher acceptance of spicy hotpot due to the spicy flavor foundation in local food culture; Most consumers in the European and American markets have a "taste fear" towards heavy spiciness and heavy oil, and prefer mild pot bottoms such as clear soup and tomatoes; The Middle East market is influenced by religious culture and has extremely strict demands for halal ingredients and soup bases. In addition, some overseas consumers have a low acceptance of hotpot ingredients such as tripe and duck intestines, which have become obstacles to promotion.

2. Misalignment of consumption scenarios: from "dining ceremony" to "daily experience"

In China, hotpot is a "social dining" for gatherings with friends and family, as well as holiday banquets, emphasizing a lively atmosphere and sharing experiences; However, most overseas consumers are more accustomed to "fast dining" and "personal meals", and have concerns about the "time-consuming and complicated" characteristics of hotpot. How to transform the "ceremonial feeling" of hotpot into a "convenient experience" that conforms to overseas consumption habits is one of the core pain points in promotion.

3. Supply chain and compliance barriers: from "fresh ingredients" to "standard compliance"

Hotpot has extremely high requirements for the freshness of ingredients and the stability of base flavor. In overseas promotion, the construction of the ingredient supply chain (such as localized procurement or import of beef and mutton, specialty vegetables), compliance certification of base production (such as FDA and EU CE certification), and timely guarantee of cold chain logistics all require significant investment, becoming the "threshold" for small and medium-sized brands to go global.

2、 The way to break through: the "three-dimensional strategy" for overseas promotion of hotpot

1. Product localization: breaking down taste barriers through "adaptation"

The core of hot pot promotion is to make overseas consumers "accustomed to and willing to eat". Localized innovation needs to be carried out from three dimensions: pot bottom, ingredients, and eating methods:

• Customization of pot base: Launch "gradient spiciness" pot bases (such as slightly spicy, medium spicy, and special spicy with specific spiciness values), develop distinctive pot bases that integrate local flavors - launch "cheese tomato pot bases" in Europe, "winter yin gong hot pot bases" in Southeast Asia, and "coconut flavored curry halal pot bases" in the Middle East, reducing the threshold for consumers to try.

• Localized adaptation of ingredients: reduce the proportion of visceral ingredients and increase the popularity of locally sourced beef, chicken, seafood, and root vegetables; Launch a "pre made ingredient platter" that cuts and blends ingredients into shapes that are easy to cook and consume, accompanied by a "cooking time guide" to solve the problem of overseas consumers not being able to eat.

• Lightweight eating method: launching "one person eating small hotpot" and "fast food style hotpot set meal", paired with pre mixed dipping sauce and ready to eat side dishes, to shorten dining time; Launch "fast food hotpot cups" in convenience stores and supermarkets to expand non dine in consumption scenarios and integrate hotpot into daily dining.

2. Scene based dissemination: Leveraging consumer enthusiasm through "cultural resonance"

The overseas promotion of hotpot is not only about selling delicious food, but also about spreading culture. We need to combine the information acquisition habits of overseas consumers to create a scenario based communication matrix:

• Immersive "grass planting on social media: On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, post short videos on the entire process of hot pot making, cooking tips for ingredients, and strategies for different pot bases to stimulate appetite with visual impact. For example, filming "the crispy process of tripe from fresh to cooked" and "a close-up of the aroma when the bottom of a red oil pot boils", paired with popular tags such as # ChineseHotPot # FoodieAdventure, to attract the attention of young consumers.

• KOL/KOC "experiential" sales promotion: collaborate with overseas food bloggers and local lifestyle experts, invite them to experience in store or conduct home hotpot reviews, and share their real consumption experiences. Select suitable experts for different markets: collaborate with "healthy eating bloggers" in the European and American markets to promote "low calorie clear soup pot bottom+fresh vegetable platter"; Collaborate with "street food experts" in the Southeast Asian market to create "affordable hotpot night market experience" content, bringing consumers closer together.

• Offline "interactive" experience: Hold "hot pot culture experience days" in shopping malls and food festivals, set up interactive activities such as "pot bottom DIY area", "ingredient recognition game", "hot pot challenge", etc., allowing consumers to learn about hot pot culture while having fun. For example, the "Spicy Challenge" event was launched at the London Food Festival, where participants challenged pot bases of different spiciness levels, and the winner received a hot pot voucher, sparking on-site attention and social media dissemination.

3. Channel diversification: Enhancing consumer convenience through "precise coverage"

To enable overseas consumers to easily enjoy hotpot, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive channel layout of "dine in+retail+takeaway":

• Dining in Hall: Creating a "Cultural Landmark" Store: Opening a specialty hotpot restaurant in the core city commercial district, integrating Chinese elements and local styles in store decoration (such as the New York store incorporating Chinese screens and American industrial style, and the Tokyo store incorporating Japanese lanterns and Western Sichuan residential elements), providing a composite consumption scene of "hotpot+cultural experience", attracting tourists and local residents to check-in.

• Retail: layout of "convenient" channels: cooperate with large overseas supermarkets (such as Wal Mart, Carrefour), Asian supermarkets and online e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Yami) to launch retail products such as hot pot ingredients, prefabricated food ingredients, dip ingredients, etc. The packaging is marked with ingredients, eating methods and compliance certification information in both Chinese and English to meet consumers' demand for hot pot at home. At the same time, for the group of international students, "mini hotpot packages" will be launched at convenience stores around the campus to accurately reach the core consumer group.

• Takeout: Optimizing "Adaptability" Services: Targeting the pain points of "easy cooling and leaking soup" in hotpot takeout, we have developed strong insulation packaging for takeout, equipped with a "heating base" and an "instant boiling tool kit"; Launch a "small takeaway package" to lower the threshold for individual consumption, while providing personalized services such as "half pot bottom optional" and "replaceable ingredients" to enhance the takeaway consumption experience.

3、 Case Study: Insights from Successful Hotpot Brands Going Global

1. Haidilao: Standing firm in overseas markets with "service+localization"

Haidilao adheres to the strategy of "service core+local adaptation" in overseas promotion: in terms of pot bottom, it has launched "tomato pot bottom" and "mushroom soup pot bottom" suitable for the European and American markets, and added "winter yin skill pot bottom" in the Southeast Asian market; In terms of service, we will retain features such as "birthday celebration" and "nail service", while incorporating local customs (such as providing Korean style rice dumplings as appetizers in Korean stores); In terms of channels, through the dual track model of "mall stores+takeaway", it covers different consumption scenarios. Currently, it has opened over 100 stores in more than 20 countries around the world, becoming one of the most well-known Chinese hotpot brands among overseas consumers.

2. Xiaolongkan: Breaking through the circle with "popular products+internet celebrity marketing"

Xiaolongkan focuses on promoting "youthfulness" and uses "spicy hot pot" as its core selling point in overseas markets. Through TikTok, it releases content such as "red oil pot bottom making process" and "internet famous dish boiling tutorial" to create the "authentic Sichuan flavor" label; At the same time, the launch of the "Hot Pot Base Co branded Gift Box" with overseas beauty brands has sparked cross disciplinary discussions; In the retail channel, the launch of "portable hotpot base" has become a "popular item" among international students and Chinese communities, quickly opening up overseas market awareness.

4、 Conclusion: Hot pot going global requires both "authentic" and "following local customs"

As an important symbol of Chinese food culture, hotpot's overseas promotion is not only an export of catering categories, but also a reflection of cultural confidence. In the promotion process, it is necessary to preserve the core cultural connotations of "boiling, sharing, and inclusiveness" in hotpot, while also respecting the taste preferences, consumption habits, and cultural differences of overseas markets. Through strategies such as product localization, scenario based dissemination, and diversified channels, hotpot can be transformed from a "Chinese flavor" to a "global flavor".

In the future, with the deepening of globalization and consumption upgrading of Chinese cuisine, there is still huge growth potential for the overseas market of hotpot. Only by taking consumer demand as the core, continuous innovation and iteration, can this pot of "Chinese red" continue to boil in overseas markets and fragrance the world.