Boild everything is just a waste of nutrients in my opinion and any so-called meal where everithing has the same or very similar flavour is just boring. Of course, this all applies to the common Chinese hotpot and there are exceptions such as Naxi hotpot or Thai hotpot but I don't believe that's what Food God was talking about. As a social event I can't fault hotpot but it rarely leaves me feeling full or satisfied. With that said, I'm not brave/stupid enough to say all this on public TV in a country where the dish IS part of the culture.

My understanding of nature of Chinese hot pot relates to the relatively recent history of not having enough to eat in the country.

In those circumstances, the quality of the food has been a secondary concern. Using lot of spices and making it a social gathering, can make ingredients otherwise simple, cheap and low on nutrients a feast.

Of course that was years ago, and quality of food in many places as improved.

But acquired tastes are difficult to change, when that acquisition has been so deeply imprinted in the society.

I can relate this to my home country in Northern Europe, and traditional Christmas dishes there.

These are various casseroles made of for example rutabaga, liver, and carrot. And not everything put together, but one dish from each basic ingredient.

When you consider these ingredients, these are what people in the country ate when nothing else was available. Traditional Christmas foods in my country originate from time of poverty and famine. Many other countries have similar dishes.

I argue that it is same with China, and hot pot.

I think that's true Janjal. Pigs feet and chickens feet are also poverty food that remain delicacies. I've had great hotpots but your average is incredibly average.

Thus my point is that if someone goes for Chinese hot pot, and expects some miracle of oriental cuisine, they stand to be disappointed.

I rather take such dishes as nods toward past generations (and not only in China), in remembrance of the hardship they have endured.

Perhaps future generations will take simlar stance toward our contemporary western dishes - having had to grow and butcher a cow, and deliver it frozen across the globe, when you can grow twice as much meat in a reactor in your own kitchen in 30 minutes and eat it fresh.

Or as someone would say, "Tea, Earl Grey, hot".

You talking about fake lab grown meat now?
Yeah, let’s let scientists with no souls take over the food chain. Brilliant idea! Let me know how that works out for you.

@Dolphin: they did that long ago already. Almost everything you eat is engineered in some way. From beef to bananas.

@debasser said, 'If anyone thinks hotpot is like 'leftover dishwater' then they should see some of the soup!

So is the Food God honest or just foolish to say that in public?'
In fairness, it was not the food god who said it, it was some other dude being quoted.

Not sure where some of you guys had 火锅.

In Beijing, 火锅 was a great winter treat. We had three favorite places, each had a different style and flavor. Common to all was the plates of thinly sliced meat (beef, pork, mutton, chicken) and veggies, noodles, sprouts. dipping sauce and pickled garlic. All the fixings were there in front of you and there wasn't much doubt as to what you were going to eat.

The three styles were Sichuan, half Sichuan/half not spicy, and one was individual cooking pots.

As far as taste, I liked the Sichuan style but the spice, and heat of the spice, did kill any real taste. The half & half gave more taste. The small individual pots were as you like it.

The real taste was in the dipping sauce and how it was mixed. I also liked the pickled garlic.

I think I had "hot Pot" in Kunming once but it was less than memorial.