On supermarket shelves in Yangon, Myanmar, bags of hotpot base paste labeled in Chinese and Burmese — imported from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and reprocessed locally — have swiftly become a must-buy for shoppers.
"A decade ago, mala with its tingly and spicy taste was only a niche flavor at Chinese community gatherings in Myanmar, but today it has made its way into ordinary households," said Sean Yann, a Chinese-Myanmar manufacturer, in fluent Mandarin.
To cater to local preferences, Yann swapped the traditional beef oil in the hotpot base for lighter vegetable oil. "Adapting to local tastes makes the spicy flavour easier to enjoy for the people," he added.
This shift reflects a wider trend, with China's mala seasonings sweeping across Southeast Asia, carried along the Lancang-Mekong River into Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. From restaurant tables to packaged snacks, an increasing number of young Southeast Asians are embracing a "no spice, no joy" way of eating.
In Thailand, the craze has even added a new word, "maLa," to the local vocabulary, while hotpot and barbecue restaurants inspired by Sichuan cuisine are continuing to spring up in Bangkok and Phuket.
"Thai cuisine has always been known for its spiciness, but Chinese mala offers more complex, layered sensations. Thai youth are particularly drawn to this exciting taste," said a Thai restaurateur based in Nanning.
Behind this flavorful exchange lies deepening regional cooperation. Initiatives like the Belt and Road, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and RCEP have strengthened industrial ties between China and ASEAN, facilitating the flow of both seasonings and ingredients.
At the spice market in Yulin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, tonnes of star anise, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper are unloaded from trucks and distributed across Southeast Asia, making the city a key hub for ASEAN-China spice trade.
As mala spreads outward, Southeast Asian ingredients are flowing in, with palm oil, black tiger shrimp and other regional specialties finding their way into Chinese hotpots and adding greater variety and flavour to the dining experience.
"Hotpot is not just a taste adventure, it is also a social catalyst," said Chen Guohua, chairman of the Chongqing Hot Pot Association, who has led efforts to promote hotpot culture in Southeast Asia and proposed the building of hotpot hubs in the region.
At the recent 21st China-ASEAN Expo, mala products once again drew the spotlight, and in the Thai pavilion, exhibitors unveiled newly developed "Thai-style mala" seasonings designed to pair with local dishes.
Meanwhile, at the Sichuan exhibition hall, spicy bean-based snacks attracted strong interest from ASEAN buyers. "We're applying for certain ASEAN certifications to expand further into these markets," said Zheng Xiaoyan, marketing executive of a snack company.
From customized hotpot bases to streamlined cross-border logistics and spice trade, China's mala flavor is weaving into Southeast Asian culinary traditions, creating new shared experiences that dance on the tongue.
"Our goal is to make hotpot synonymous with China worldwide," Chen said.