LANZHOU, July 26 (Xinhua) — Following in the footsteps of Zibo and Harbin, Tianshui, a modest city in northwest China’s Gansu Province, has become the latest social media sensation, thanks to its renowned dish, malatang.
Tianshui’s rise to fame began in late February with a video posted by a student on Douyin, a popular social media platform. The video featured malatang, a dish of fresh vegetables and meat boiled in a spicy, scarlet soup, which quickly garnered millions of likes, captivating food enthusiasts nationwide.
The distinctive soup base, flavored with Chinese peppers and dried chili peppers, delivers a tongue-numbing and spicy taste known as “mala.”
In March, Hao Erlong and his partner capitalized on malatang’s newfound popularity by relocating their decade-old eatery to the historic town of Tianshui. They expanded their business from a small space of just over a dozen square meters to a 60-square meter restaurant, reaping substantial profits.
“Malatang is typically a low-margin business, with an average customer spending only 26 yuan (about 3.6 U.S. dollars),” Hao explained. “But during the Labor Day holiday in May, our daily turnover exceeded 30,000 yuan. Even now, our revenue hits 13,000 to 14,000 yuan every day.” This is a stark contrast to their previous daily income of 2,000 yuan.
To illustrate malatang’s popularity, Hao noted that during the Labor Day holiday, they restocked potatoes two to three times daily, consuming nearly 200 kg of potatoes and 150 kg of chili oil each day. Long lines of customers formed from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., and they hired 10 people just to cut vegetables, with over 30 employees working in two shifts during the holiday.
The original Ha Haiying malatang shop, where the street food first gained fame, continues to see a surge of customers daily. “We’ve been in line for two hours since 3 p.m.,” said Ms. Fan from Linxia, Gansu, who visited Tianshui specifically for malatang with a friend. “It’s really delicious, especially the fragrant chili. It’s totally worth the wait!”
The social media buzz and local marketing promotions have fostered a malatang industrial chain. Veteran businessman Qi Weihong seized the opportunity, starting to manufacture pre-packaged malatang and seasoning packets in late March. “We have sold over 700,000 servings of malatang-related products, with sales exceeding 4 million yuan,” Qi reported, adding that the market response has been very positive.
In June, Qi visited Liuzhou in southern China to learn from its successful Luosifen industry, aiming to improve preservation technology and broaden the reach of Tianshui malatang. Luosifen, a pungent noodle dish, has created a vast industrial chain and achieved remarkable export sales.
“We’ll invest more in the research and development of malatang-related products,” Qi said.
Tianshui now boasts a thriving malatang industry cluster, with over 570 malatang stores and 76 enterprises engaged in related businesses, according to the municipal commerce bureau.
Tianshui residents attribute their malatang’s unique flavor to local specialty ingredients, particularly the chili peppers from Gangu County. This ingredient has become a pillar industry driving local economic growth and a major income source for local farmers. The malatang craze has further boosted the market for Gangu chili peppers.
“In less than 20 days, the first batch of chili peppers will be ready for harvest,” said Xie Gong, general manager of a local agricultural technology company. Xie noted that malatang’s popularity has spurred the chili pepper industry’s development, encouraging more farmers to cultivate chili peppers.
Xie’s company has leased over 500 mu (about 33 hectares) of land in Xinxing Township, introducing advanced technologies like automatic fertilizer irrigation systems to enhance the quality and yield of the peppers. “Previously, each mu of land yielded about 1,000 kg of fresh chili peppers; now the output can double,” Xie said.
At a farmers’ cooperative in Gangu, machines are operating at full capacity to produce a variety of products, including chili powder, shredded chilies, chili oil, and malatang seasoning packets. “In previous years, we could only sell 1,000 kg of chili powder monthly. This year, during peak periods, we sold 1,000 kg in a single day,” said Wei Hailong, head of the cooperative.
A bowl of malatang has invigorated the cultural tourism industry, boosting consumption in catering, accommodation, leisure, and entertainment. According to the Tianshui municipal government, the malatang phenomenon has created 28,200 new jobs.
Lu Hongliang, an official with the local commerce bureau, stated that Tianshui has developed plans for six malatang-related industries, including Gangu chili peppers, convenience food, and pre-made dishes. These plans aim to enhance product variety, quality, and scale, optimizing the local industrial layout.
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