Malatang () is a common type of Chinese street food. It originated in Sichuan, China, but it differs mainly from the Sichuanese version in that the Sichuanese version is more similar to what in northern China would be described as hot pot. On June 20, 2017, the Chinese General Department of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the National Standards Management Committee jointly issued a series of national standards for "English Translation and Writing Standards in Public Services." The standard name for the noun Malatang into English is "Spicy Hot Pot" officially launched on December 1, 2017, but despite this stance, the term "malatang" has entered English as a loanword.

Origin

''Malatang'' is named after its key ingredient, mala sauce, which is flavored with a combination of Sichuan pepper and dried chilli pepper. The word ''málà'' is composed of the Chinese characters for "numbing" ( 麻) and "spicy (hot)" ( 辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce. ''Malatang'' is said to originate from the Yangtze River near Sichuan. In ancient times, boating was a big industry and many people made a living by towing boats. Working under the damp and foggy weather made boat trackers feel very sick. And when they were hungry, they cooked herbs in a pot and put Sichuan pepper and ginger into the soup to eliminate dampness. ''Malatang'' was created, then vendors discovered the business opportunity, and spread it throughout China. Unlike hot pot, which is made to order and shared only by diners at a table, ''malatang'' originates from street food cooked in a communal pot. Diners can quickly choose what they wish to eat, and either eat on the spot or take away.

Preparation

Skewers

Typically a table with a big and flat saucepan is set up on the street, with a large number of ingredients in skewers being cooked in a mildly spicy broth. Customers sit around the table pick up whatever they want to eat. Given the large number of ingredients available, normally not all ingredients are in the saucepan at the same time, and customers may suggest what is missing and should be added. All skewers normally cost the same. In Beijing they cost one RMB each. Customers keep the used wooden sticks by their plates, and when a customer finishes eating, the price to pay is determined by counting the number of empty sticks.

By weight

In the mid-2010s ''malatang'' shops became popular in

North China North China, or Huabei () is a List of regions of China, geographical region of China, consisting of the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Part of the larger region of Northern China (''Beifang''), it lies north ...

, especially Beijing. In these shops the ingredients are usually displayed on shelves, and customers pick their desired ingredients into a bowl. Behind the counter the selected ingredients are cooked in a spicy broth, usually at very high temperature for 3–4 minutes. Before serving, ''malatang'' is typically further seasoned with much

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

, black pepper, Sichuan pepper, chili pepper, sesame paste, and crushed peanuts. The price is calculated based on the weight of the self-picked ingredients. In Beijing, half a kilogram usually costs between 15 and 20 RMB .

Common ingredients

Some of the common ingredients include: *

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(celtuce) * beef (chunks) *

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...

s * lettuce * spinach * other mixed greens * lotus root * mushrooms * fresh and instant noodles * pork liver * pork lung * potato * quail eggs *

Spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...

* Chinese yam * sheep intestines * numerous types of dried and frozen tofu * '' nian gao'' rice cakes * beef balls * fish balls *

chicken balls Chicken balls are a food consisting of small, spherical or nearly spherical pieces of chicken. They are prepared and eaten in several different cuisines. In Western Chinese cuisine Chicken balls () are a type of modern Chinese food served in Can ...

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

* tripe

References

External links

* {{Sichuan cuisine Street food Chinese cuisine Spicy foods Chinese soups Culture in Chongqing