''Mala'' is a spicy and numbing seasoning made from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli. Most commonly, ''mala'' is made into a sauce (麻辣醬 ''málàjiàng'') by simmering it in oil and other spices. Characteristic of Sichuan cuisine, particularly

Chongqing cuisine Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Coun ...

, it has become one of the most popular ingredients in

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...

, spawning many regional variants.

Etymology

The term ''málà'' is a combination of two

Chinese character Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanj ...

s: "numbing" ( 麻) and "spicy (piquant)" ( 辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce. The numbness is caused by Sichuan pepper, which contains 3%

hydroxy-alpha-sanshool Hydroxy-''alpha''-sanshool is a molecule found in plants from the genus ''Zanthoxylum''. It is believed to be responsible for the paresthesia, numbing and tingling sensation caused by eating food cooked with Sichuan peppercorns and Uzazi. The te ...

History

The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to night markets in Chongqing that targeted pier workers in the 19th to 20th century. The strong flavour and thick layer of oil helps preserve foods and removes the unpopular smells of the cheap foods, such as solidified blood, beef stomach and kidney, which were usually served to pier workers. Despite the strong flavour by itself, various dipping sauces are often served to make the texture of cooked meat smooth and oily, and the tastes more complex. Common sauces include

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

with garlic, oyster oil, or ''

doufu ru Fermented tofu (also called fermented bean curd, white bean-curd cheese, tofu cheese, soy cheese or preserved tofu) is a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed, Food preservation, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine. The ingre ...

''. The sauce is used in a variety of ways, from stir-fry, stews, and soup, to being used in

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 ...

or as a dipping sauce. In the

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 ...

and

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

provinces ''mala'' powder (麻辣粉; pinyin: málàfĕn) is used on snacks and street foods, such as

stinky tofu Stinky tofu () is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack, or in lunch bars as a side dish, rather than in restaurants. Traditionally the dish is fermented in ...

fried potatoes Fried potatoes are a dish or a component of other dishes (such as ''Bauernfrühstück'') essentially consisting of potatoes which have been fried or deep-fried in hot cooking oil often with the addition of salt and other seasonings. They are oft ...

, and barbecued meat and vegetables.

Ingredients

The sauce is made primarily of dried

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 ...

chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

, douban paste, Sichuan peppercorns, clove, garlic, star anise,

black cardamom ''Amomum subulatum'', also known as Black cardamom, hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, greater cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom, big cardamon, or brown cardamom, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Zingiberaceae. ...

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

, ginger, cinnamon,

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

and sugar. These ingredients are simmered with beef

tallow Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. In industry, tallow is not strictly defined as beef or mutton fat. In this context, tallow is animal fat that conforms to certain technical criteria, includ ...

and

vegetable oil Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of fruits. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed oils, or f ...

for many hours, and packed into a jar. Other herbs and spices, such as sand ginger, '' Angelica dahurica'' and

poppy seeds Poppy seed is an oilseed obtained from the opium poppy (''Papaver somniferum''). The tiny, kidney-shaped seeds have been harvested from dried seed pods by various civilizations for thousands of years. It is still widely used in many countries, ...

, can be added to create a unique flavour. Traditionally, a restaurant hired a chef specializing in making this sauce; the recipes were kept secret to the chef himself. Today, prepared ''mala'' sauce can easily be found in supermarkets, and chain restaurants often produce their own sauce on a large scale, while many others still blend their own one. Like curry, there is a constant debate about the 'best' recipe and numerous variations are available on the market.

Dishes

''Mala'' sauce is used in many dishes. * Malatang (麻辣燙): vegetable and meat skewers served in a ''mala'' soup. For home preparation, bouillon-style cubes of instant mala have become popular. * ''Mala''

(麻辣火鍋) * ''Mala''

shaokao ''Shaokao'' (), also romanized as shao kao, is the Chinese translation of "barbecue". Chinese variants of the practice constitute a significant aspect of Chinese cuisine. In China, it is predominantly found on busy Chinese streets and night mark ...

(麻辣烧烤): Chinese barbecue flavored with mala *

Mala xiang guo Mala xiang guo (), roughly translated into English as "spicy stir-fry hot pot", is a Chinese cuisine, Chinese dish prepared by stir frying. Strongly flavored with mala (seasoning), mala, it often contains meat and vegetables, and has a salty and ...

(麻辣香锅): ''mala''-flavored stir-fry * Mala duck neck (麻辣鴨脖子) * Mouth-watering ("drooling") chicken (口水雞): Cold chicken served in ''mala'' sauce *

Fuqi feipian ''Fuqi feipian'' () is a popular Sichuan cuisine, Sichuan dish, served cold or at room temperature, which is made of thinly sliced beef and beef offal. Common ingredients in the modern version include beef heart, tongue and tripe, and a generous ...

(夫妻肺片): beef tendon, tongue, tripe, and sometimes also lung, served with oily ''mala'' sauce *

Dapanji ''Dapanji'' ( zh, s=大盘鸡, p=Dàpánjī, l=big plate chicken) or ( ug, تۇخۇ قوردىقى , чоң тәхсә тоху қорумиси; also spelled ), is a type of chicken stew. It is a popular dish that originated in Xinjiang, China. ...

(大盘鸡, lit. "big plate chicken"): a hearty chicken, potato and noodle stew flavored with ''mala''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mala Sauce Chili pepper dishes Chinese condiments Chinese sauces Chongqing cuisine Sichuan cuisine

Etymology

History

Ingredients

Dishes

See also

References