But, says Liang You-hsiang, "When connoisseurs eat mala hotpot, their first choice of drink to accompany it is spirits, especially those which are more than 40 % proof. In Taiwan, the best choice is gaoliang-sorghum spirit. That's what we call 'fighting fire with fire.'" Liang notes that according to traditional Chinese medicine, hotpot is a dish which generates "fire" in the body.
「其實行家吃麻辣火鍋時，搭配的飲料首選白酒，尤其是酒精濃度比例在四十以上的烈酒，在台灣最好的就是高粱酒，這叫做『以毒攻毒』」，梁幼祥說，火鍋本來就是上火的食品，麻辣更是火上加火，所以給人壞腸胃、拉肚子、燒屁眼等副作用。