South Korea e-commerce platform "Wemakeprice" suggested that sales volume of the spicy powder and other ingredients needed to make malatang is 96 times greater than it was last year.

韩国电商平台数据显示，中国香辛调料“麻辣粉”和麻辣烫食材今年的销售额比去年增加了96倍以上。

A market analysis by a retail chain in South Korea said that over the past five years, Japanese beer, which has been a top seller for years, is losing customers, while market share of Chinese beer has jumped from 4.9 to 10.2 percent, local newspaper The Central Times reported on Friday.

据韩国《中央日报》报道，韩国一家零售连锁的分析显示，过去五年内，原本稳居销售冠军的日本啤酒销量正在下降，但中国啤酒的市场份额却从4.9%上升到10.2%。

The newspaper attributes the sales increase to the growing popularity of spicy hot pot. Tsingtao beer, a famous Chinese brand, is a perfect match for the spicy Chinese cuisine, according to the report.

Just like popular street foods yupki-tteokboki or extra hot stir-fried rice cake and fiery chicken, malatang, which originated in the Southwest Chinese province of Sichuan, is especially hot because of the main ingredient, mala.

麻辣烫源于中国四川省，和韩国流行街头小吃火鸡辣年糕一样，麻辣烫因为其麻辣原料而有着独具特色的口感。

The dish is well-known for its unique spiciness that makes the tongue numb just as its Chinese characters indicate—"ma" means numb and "la" means spicy.

麻辣烫因其独特的辣味而知名，这种辣味让你舌尖发麻，菜名“麻”“辣”二字就是指这种刺激的口感。

The mala sauce, which contains Sichuan pepper, gives the attractively spicy flavor that keeps people coming back for more.

麻辣酱的配料包括花椒，这使得麻辣烫的辣味独具一格，让食客流连忘返。

Upon entering a malatang restaurant, diners are asked to choose fresh ingredients to add to their hot pot, such as vegetables, seafood balls, tofu, and mushrooms, along with their preferred meat — usually lamb or beef.

在麻辣烫店里，食客可以选择自己喜欢的新鲜食材，比如蔬菜、海鲜丸子、豆腐、蘑菇还有他们最喜欢的菜，一般都是牛羊肉。

Chosen ingredients are cooked in two ways: as a soup, malatang, or fried, mala xiang guo. Customers can also choose the level of spiciness.

选好食物后，一般有两种烹调的方式：带汤的麻辣烫和炒制的麻辣香锅，顾客还可以自己选择辣度。

Local people are also making malatang meals at home as many Youtubers have uploaded recipes and cooking instructions online.

韩国当地人也会在家自制麻辣烫，一些视频博主会上传菜谱和制作指南。

Compared to spicy foods that were trending previously, such as stir-fried rice cake or fiery chicken, which are heavy in carbohydrates, malatang has a healthier balance, including fresh vegetables and meat.

之前流行的辣炒年糕或者火鸡之类的辣味食物都是高碳水，但是麻辣烫有肉有菜，营养更均衡。

The popularity of malatang also sparked a sales increase in Chinese glass noodles. Customers who fell for the sticky and chewy texture are making new combinations of the glass noodle with other spicy foods.