Malatang: The Tongue-numbing One Bowl Wonder

Sichuan hot pot is renowned for the fiery, tongue-numbing excitement in every slurp – perfect to warm up during cold seasons with your friends and family. But what if you prefer a simpler, less crowded meal with the same awesome spiciness? Well, Malatang is the thrilling treat for you!

What is Malatang?

Malatang literally means ‘numbing spicy boil’. A popular street food believed to have originated from the Yangtze riverbank in Sichuan province. The wide river flows across China. So during ancient times, boatmen used to ferry people and goods upstream to other regions in the country. For convenience, these men would boil a pot of water and cook up cheap meat and veggies, flavoured with chilli and peppercorns – the signature spices of Sichuan, which warms them against the cold and dampness of the river. Similar to the Sichuan hot pot, but simplified for one-bowl servings, cooked from a communal broth pot.

Over the centuries, Malatang evolved into a street food favourite that lets you choose from an array of skewered meats, seafood, veggies and noodles to savour in the fiery soup. Since the 2010s, the dish has exploded in popularity across China and around the world. You can even find it in Australia!

Difference between Mala Hotpot and Malatang

Unlike the Sichuan Mala hot pot in which you cook as you eat; for Malatang, all you have to do is pick the raw food you want, and the chef will cook and serve them in hearty Mala broth – flavoured with a rich blend of chilli, peppercorns, garlic and other spices.

Basically, Malatang is a spicy soup buffet in which you ‘built’ your own bowl. The trick is to always choose a mix of noodles, meat and veggies in small portions to enrich your bowl’s flavours. Common selections include sliced beef, lamb, pork, squid, prawns, scallops, fishballs, fishcakes, mushrooms, water spinach, lotus root, broccoli and many, many more. Some may feature over 100 of such yummy choices, so you can always try a different combo next time.

Matalang eateries typically charge by the total weight of the food you picked, and prices are usually affordable. But if you want to try it at home, just think Mala hot pot, and cut down the ingredients to a single-serving bowl. Not sure how much spices to put in your broth? Try this award-winning zesty beef soup noodles to get a ‘baseline’ for your preferred hotness!