The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

2020 • 08 58 ellness Translated by Ong Mooi Lin A s the years pass, my attendance at family gatherings has lessened in frequency. Rather, I prefer sitting down to intimate, one- to-one meetings that afford me the opportunity to express my concern for my loved ones and listen to them share their experiences. Recently, I was invited to a family hotpot gathering, which I attended with my child after a long absence. As soon as I stepped into the house, I caught sight of a large pot of tomato-based broth prepared on the dining table. I was delighted to see my favourite tomato broth and asked candidly, “How many tomatoes went into preparing the broth?” A relative led me into the kitchen, pulled open a drawer and produced an intricately-designed packet of hotpot soup base from a white plastic basket. She placed the packet in my hands and declared triumphantly, “This is the secret recipe!” When the weather in Singapore turns cooler at the end of the year, I often prepare hotpot feasts for my family with simple broths and vegetarian ingredients. The broth is the crucial element of any hotpot feast. Greasy foods are not my cup of tea, so I tend to steer clear of broths that are high in calories and fat, such as mala (numbingly spicy) soup. Instead, I would concoct light yet delicious broths by using a variety of ingredients, including peanuts and mushrooms, jicama and carrots, corn and tomatoes. I have commonly heard complaints about the tedious preparation process of hotpot broths. Some would rather save the trouble of washing and cutting the ingredients for the broth by opting for hotpot soup base packets from the supermarket that only require the addition of boiling water, simplifying the process into less than a minute. High-sodium soup bases After the hotpot feast, my daughter kept on asking me for water to drink. Herein lies the problem with packaged hotpot soup bases: high sodium content. I noticed from the nutrition facts label on the soup base packaging that each packet weighs 200 g, which dissolves into a soup base containing nearly 5,000 mg of sodium. Even if we avoid consuming the soup base, traces of the broth have already seeped into our body with every bite of the ingredients submerged in the soup. Some acquaintances have asked me if adding hotpot soup base to vegetable stock as seasoning is a health hazard. We are mostly aware that sodium is an essential mineral that keeps our body functioning. Hence, we have to replenish the sodium lost through urination and perspiration by ensuring adequate sodium intake in our diet. As long as we understand our daily sodium requirement, avoid consuming excessive sodium and identify foods that contain high amounts of sodium, we will be able to savour food with minimal concern. The ingredients we choose for a hotpot feast are an equally important consideration. Apart from the soup base, processed foods such as sausages, dumplings, seafood tofu, ChooseWisely for Healthier Hotpot Even if we avoid consuming the hotpot soup base, traces of the broth have already seeped into our body with every bite of the ingredients submerged in the soup.