At Oliver’s hot pot party earlier this month, I was surprised to see them dumping the soup into the front yard after our meal. When I brought it up, I was brushed off as if this were perfectly normal. For my family, drinking the broth has been a big part of hot pot gatherings, but I was open to the possibility that that may be a unique quirk.
Searching around the web reveals mixed answers. From what it looks like, there has been advice floating around in recent years about how hot pot soup can be unhealthy. (Something about the meats and certain veggies releasing an excessive amount of purines.) There is no definite medical evidence supporting this claim, but it seems to have a fair amount of followers.
Anyway, I have not been convinced that the soup is bad for you in any way. During my own hot pot parties, the broth will continue to be consumed. As for next time, I will casually ask the others why they believe the soup should be avoided. Who knows…perhaps they have a valid reason completely unrelated to purines after all.
On a food related note, today I got to try out the Frontera Grill food truck. My mom happened to be attending a lunch party and I used that as an excuse to eat out. Originally, I planned on ordering McRib, but the McDonald’s on De Anza was only open for drive thru, so I had to look for other options.
At Frontera Grill, I ordered three tacos: one carne asada, one shrimp, and one carnitas. I also ordered an agua fresca. The total price came out to ~$14. Considering the amount of food provided, that was very reasonable. The tacos were tasty and I enjoyed them very much. Out of the three, the carne asada was my favorite.
The food felt authentic and was filling. The agua fresca was surprisingly good and the highlight of the meal. For those days that I’m craving real Mexican food, Frontera Grill should come in handy.
