Malatang () is a common type of Chinese

street food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...

. It originated in

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

, 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 Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...

. 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 Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for t ...

. 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 The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

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

, which is made to order and shared only by diners at a table, ''malatang'' originates from

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 Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...

. 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 The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 2022. ...

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, 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,

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

, Sichuan pepper,

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

sesame paste Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eas ...

, 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: * wosun (celtuce) * beef (chunks) * dumplings * lettuce * spinach * other mixed greens *

lotus root ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often re ...

* mushrooms * fresh and instant noodles * pork liver * pork lung * potato *

quail eggs Quail eggs are eaten and considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. In Japanese cuisine, they are sometimes used raw or cooked as ''tamago'' in sushi and often found in ''bento'' lunches. In ...

* Spam *

Chinese yam ''Dioscorea polystachya'' or Chinese yam ( zh, s=山药, t=山藥), also called cinnamon-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family. It is sometimes called Chinese potato or by its Korean name ''ma''. It is a perennial climbing vin ...

* sheep intestines * numerous types of dried and frozen

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...

* ''

nian gao ''Nian gao'' (年糕; also ''niangao''; ''nin4 gou1'' in Cantonese), sometimes translated as year cake or New Year cake or Chinese New Year's cake, is a food prepared from glutinous rice flour and consumed in Chinese cuisine. It is also simply ...

'' rice cakes *

beef ball Beef ball () is a commonly cooked food in Cantonese and overseas Chinese communities which was originated by Teochew people. As the name suggests, the ball is made of beef that has been finely pulverized, other ground meat such as pork may be th ...

s *

fish ball Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or p ...

s * chicken balls * sweet potato *

tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's st ...

References

External links

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