On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 02:55:52 -0400, "Bob (this one)" >
wrote:

<snipped>
>
>Look around for "huo kuo" references. <http://tinyurl.com/demsl>
>
>I've never heard it called a "steamboat." Firepot, Mongolian firepot,
>huo kuo or, the Japanese variant, shabu shabu.
>
>I hard a fanciful story about the origins of these pots with Mongols
>using their armored breastplates to cook meat that they killed in their
>travels. Only problem is that they didn't use metal armor. Oh, well.
>Shame to let facts get in the way of a good story.
>
>Pastorio

I got the name "steamboat" from Graham Yen's "The Chinese Cooking
School Cookbook" (1979) . He also says it is called "Mongolian hot
pot".