A furious row has erupted in China after a so-called "food god" said hotpot should “vanish from the Earth”.
Famous Hong Kong restaurant critic and TV personality Chua Lam is facing criticism for speaking negatively about the beloved cooking method, Chinese hotpot.
The comments were made while he appeared on talk show Day Day Up, when asked what he would like to see vanish from the world.
Mr Lam replied: “Hotpot. Because hotpot is a cooking method totally lacking cultural significance. You just throw some ingredients into a pot. I don’t get what’s delicious about it.
“If hotpot fandom continues to grow, you’ll see fewer and fewer chefs in the years to come.”
Many viewers were outraged at Mr Lam’s comments about the popular dish.
One furious viewer said: “Chinese hotpot has an abundance of cultural significance, from its broth to the order that you put ingredients into various sauces.
“Trashing hotpot exposed your ignorance and your inability to discover cultural details in things.”
Defending Mr Lam, another wrote: “Well done Chua Lam for pointing out the inconvenient truth: hotpot is not cooking.”
Mr Lam rose to fame as a critic and is the author of several cook books.
