Chongqing was named "China's hotpot city" by the China Cuisine Association in 2007.

Nie says Chongqing "deserves the honor".

Chen Xi, a Chongqing native, says he could not live without one hotpot a week.

"I have to eat hotpot at least once a week," he says.

Expatriates in Chongqing also like hotpot.

Tina Redshaw, the British consul general in Chongqing, says she loves spicy hotpot. She told a media conference in December that she was impressed that Chongqing had so many hotpot restaurants.

"Although I eat at different hotpot restaurants every day, I cannot eat at all the hotpot restaurants in only two years," she says.

Kossi A. Vanessa from Benin in West Africa, has studied in Chongqing for five years. She says if she leaves Chongqing after graduation, hotpot is what she will miss the most about the city.

"I will definitely miss it, though I cannot really eat super spicy food, but the hotpot is a delicious memory of the city," the 26-year-old says.

Chongqing hotpot is very versatile and does not always have to be spicy. The dish can be adapted to many flavors to suit diner's tastes.

Nie believes Chongqing hotpot will go further if the city promotes hotpot culture and expands the image of the brand.

Chongqing hotpot is a big name across the country, even the world. However, Chongqing businessmen lack awareness of how to improve the brand of the cuisine, Nie says.

"I am obsessed with hotpot culture," Nie says. "I want to do something to let people know more about Chongqing hotpot."