Super spicy noodle soup melts hearts of food lovers
A dish called Tianshui malatang, which originates from Gansu province, is captivating food lovers across the nation eager to sample its distinctive flavour.
The word malatang literally means a “spicy numbing hot soup”.
“We get an average of 400 to 500 people a day – mostly travellers. It’s not even the holiday season yet and we already have so many visitors. We expect even more during the Labour Day holiday in May,” a malatang shop owner told Chinanews.com.
The surge in the popularity of the item stems from a video posted on February 13 by Liang Huan, a student at Hubei University of Economics, who has been dubbed the “Princess of Malatang”. Only seven seconds long and containing just one line of dialogue – “I suggest making Gansu malatang a national dish” – the video quickly attracted attention because of the vibrant appearance of the dish, which looks different to traditional versions.
In particular, its use of wide noodles sparked widespread interest, with one person commenting: “The wide noodles are a must-try, they truly represent the essence of the dish.”
As the video gained 1.4 million likes and 260,000 comments, people from other provinces began to showcase their local malatang variations, igniting a friendly rivalry.
“Sichuan malatang holds its ground,” one person said, while another added: “Northeast malatang is ready for battle.”
There were also comments from Chinese contributors overseas.
“The malatang I ate in Paris cost 1,000 yuan [HK$1,081] for just three bowls,” wrote one person alongside a photo of the dish.
Originally a street food from southwestern China, malatang is made with vegetables and meat cooked in a spicy broth with chilli and Sichuan peppers.
Tianshui malatang differs by using handmade, locally crafted wide noodles, a unique broth for its base and secret seasonings.
It is these seasonings that create its distinctive taste, which is aromatic as well as somewhat spicy, and can be enjoyed by people who are not keen on very hot food.
The special broth further enhances the freshness of the ingredients. “Tianshui malatang broth is not as thick as the soup base of a hotpot, we use chicken soup, so the broth is actually clear. The fiery red colour comes from the chilli mixed in later,” said Chen, another purveyor in Tianshui.
Malatang has not only captivated foodies in China but has also gained international acclaim, appealing to a wide range of fans who are not necessarily lovers of Chinese cuisine.