Do not eat tofu and spinach together
Whether in winter or summer, hot pot is always a favorite delicacy. However, only by eating hot pot scientifically can one enjoy deliciousness while gaining nutrition.
People are increasingly fond of eating hot pot in summer. In fact, as long as the method is proper, eating hot pot in summer can help eliminate sweat and dampness, and promote metabolism. To eat hot pot scientifically, first choose fresh meat or vegetables.
Secondly, select some cooling vegetables such as wax gourd, baby bok choy, lotus root, etc. Adding lotus seeds without the core to the broth can clear heat; tofu, being a soy product containing gypsum, has effects such as clearing heat, reducing fire, and quenching thirst.
Moreover, since hot pot usually involves multiple foods eaten together, proper pairing is essential. For example, do not add spinach when eating tofu to prevent stone formation; avoid eating wood ear mushrooms with radish to prevent possible dermatitis; ensure meat is thoroughly cooked, while vegetables should not be blanched too long—ideally blanch vegetables before meat to effectively utilize nutrients and reduce gastrointestinal burden. It should be noted that it's best not to drink hot pot soup, as repeatedly boiled soup may produce harmful substances for the human body.
For water-soaked dishes provided by hot pot restaurants, one must learn to identify them. For instance, when eating kelp, don't just go for bright green appearance—some kelp is dyed with sodium dithionite and basic green dye, which has no noticeable taste and is hard to detect; soak a small handful of bean sprouts in boiling water in a bowl—if an odor resembling rotten eggs appears, it definitely contains excessive sulfur compounds and should not be consumed; high-quality wood ear mushrooms are dark black and glossy, gray on the back, dry to touch, light in weight, and have good water absorption expansion.
Additionally, fresh shrimp should be intact in shape, greenish-blue in color, transparent and shiny in shell, elastic, and free from unpleasant odors.