Spicy Mala: What's Really In Your Mala Dish? | Talking Point | Full Episode

In a Talking Point social media crowdsourcing, we received the most number of requests to look into what’s in one of the latest food trends, Mala. This popular seasoning is now found in a wide array of dishes, from hotpots to snacks and even cup noodles. How and why did it become so popular, and what exactly is our love for mala doing to us?
Talking Point host Steven Chia digs into this spicy and numbing flavouring to find out.
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About the show: Talking Point investigates a current issue or event, offering different perspectives to local stories and revealing how it all affects you.
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[@robintan5696]

Poor Steven! Sacrificing his tastebuds and enduring the pain for the viewers!! Love this!!😅🤣🤤

[@roylim1169]

rest in peace stevens taste buds

[@caterinatan4736]

Steven needs a raise omg! First bubble tea, fried chicken & now mala!!

[@mindtwister1984]

I think CNA should be charged with attempted daylight murder of its own presenter.

[@caoshehuixian]

hei, he ate free.

[@lokmanhakim8576]

I had those too..nobody's giving me a raise for it though..

[@shahvei]

Our China friend was shocked when he saw us drinking the MaLak soup from the Hot Pot. He told us no one in China drinks the soup 😱🤣

[@jessiexu9438]

yes when I first saw my Singaporean friend drink mala oil soup I shocked

[@bigstick8699]

Because its a lot of calories or too spicy?

[@Hi-jh4iv]

​@@bigstick8699There's a reason why there's a gigantic layer of oil on the mala soup

[@bigstick8699]

@Hi-jh4iv is there though? People usually can scoop from the bottom up and that would reduce the oil

[@Hi-jh4iv]

@@bigstick8699 idk how to explain but the sheer amount of oil makes that not do anything really

[@eerroorr87]

please make more of such local documentary by Steven. It so informative and education yet entertaining. Thumbs up!

[@followmissyee]

Just hearing mala, makes my mouth salivate......its like an addiction, always craving for more.....

[@xzxzojkeymtzxzx7712]

who was under the impression that it was healthy? I guessed as much that it was terrible for health but love it anyway

[@longangrysausage3495]

AHHAHA yea same

[@pyroxenez3704]

All that oil is a tell-tale sign of how unhealthy mala is...

[@asiandietitian]

Just to clarify a factual error (I'm a dietitian), saturated fats do not convert into trans fat when in boiling conditions like mala. Only if you deep-fry or refry oil at very high heat, is there a possibility of a slight conversion into trans fat (in the range of 2-4% only), and this does not occur with any other cooking method. More important than just this slight increase in trans fat, is that frying at high heat causes the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats and production of polar compounds - that have an even more significant health impact. However, this is quite insignificant at at boiling water temperatures of 100°C; it mostly happens when in deep-frying temperatures like >180°C!

[@weelengg]

I think what he meant here is that the mala paste used in both dishes the mala hotpot and mala stir fry is in a way deep fried? Because the herbs are basically being deep fried in plenty of oil to make the paste

[@mayurmahale3049]

@@weelengg also saturated fats don't turn into transfats. This required double bonds found in mono and polyunsaturated fats.

[@fromis.9]

Ofc you a loser

[@asiandietitian]

@@fromis.9 haha thanks! Speaks volumes to your character more than mine :)

[@fromis.9]

@@asiandietitian Yeah. I'm someone who speaks a fact, while you are someone who needs to correct others

[@florence6025]

I'm from Belgium, I've never even heard of the word mala. But I'm thankfull I know now!! :)

[@aifangchan6701]

麻 (ma) means numbing, 辣（la) means spicy. So it's numbing spice.

[@arcencielc2065]

A female store owner says, "Once the gas is turned on, it will cost her $1!" She is lying! She should have said, "Because we want to overcharge mah!" Gas got so expensive one meh?

[@kokhxbrdn]

so this video just made me crave mala more now

[@ngiamxinghao]

By this point, whenever Steven Chia enters the room: Lab analysts: Why do I hear boss music?

[@helenwang7884]

The mala hotpot soup is not meant to be drinked. Anyone from China will know this.

[@sirtanchannel5848]

Legit?

[@bobbytay8949]

​@@sirtanchannel5848 In China, you don't get a soup spoon in fact. How are you going to drink it?

[@AhmadIzzJ]

@@bobbytay8949 Straws. JK.

[@Sakura81501]

@@sirtanchannel5848 Loll. I’m chinese. We never drink the hotpot soup. We just cook the ingredients in it

[@katsumiis4699]

@@sirtanchannel5848 Yep! The soup is just there to impart some flavour but we never drink the soup.

[@dykoubiz]

Oh gosh. Steven speaking Chinese is quite a surprise. It’s a first for me at least.

[@jeremiahcharleschen8631]

This guy deserves a raise.

[@HoshikawaHikari]

I think if enough ppl comment the same thing he might get it ^^

[@hellozita3444]

Actually in Sichuan, nobody drinks the mala hotpot soup...... just eat the food only

[@TheAkumaChan]

Ya, I was really shook the first time I saw people drink the soup base.

[@jmason0622]

Yeah I can attest. My friend Mei was surprised when she came to SG from Chengdu in 2018, ate some mala hotpot with me and some friends, and one of my buds took a spoonful of the soup. Like, she tapped on my shoulder and asked in hush, "do people here drink that?" and I just chuckled because I also dunno why.

[@ylein6508]

Hahah I listen to the hawker selling mala saying bullshit about mala being cooked on the spot and it cost $1 to turn the gas every time. All hawker food is cooked on the spot, Tze char, char kway teow and you don’t see them charging $10 for it

[@tzeeluaimeng5760]

Very true

[@commieskungflu1635]

China food is full of BeeAss. Just like the country

[@zeno_2688]

@@commieskungflu1635 just 🤡

[@ln2887]

Exactly. Listen to her bs-ting.

[@yyl5336]

These chinese hawkers justify whatever the crap they like, thinking their customers are fools.

[@tchern75]

Which spicy level were they eating? I had the strongest MaLa and up level to MaLa 烫 Medium @Chinatown. The counter lady confirmed my order over 3x:"Sir, you sure? It IS REALLY very Spicy." YES, Sure, i repeated. I emptied the bowl. had burning lips for a couple of hours afterward. 😋 It was a wonderous experience. Until my stomach had an issue and had to retire from MaLa for over a year now. I miss MaLa.

[@NobitaSwag]

Asking why mala is so popular is like asking why instant noodle is so popular. Both are processed food. We all know that unhealthy food is unfortunately the most delicious.

[@JC-uz3ey]

After watching this... i got a craving for mala and ordered via a food app. >.

[@Shan-q5o7n]

nobody drinks the mala gravy, man. most of it will just set under the food and left in the bowl.

[@shadowflare2838]

Ingredients absorb a lot of the gravy

[@AtlantisAng]

Erm I drink, orders the soup version. Usually da la, depending on the store. Heee. Yes la, it's rare. I am entertained when my friends go O_____O" O_____O".

[@Shan-q5o7n]

@@AtlantisAng Respect😱

[@goforbroke7598]

@@AtlantisAng i heard that there is a soup version that is meant for drinking, hopefully you are not drinking the oily broth version that is for blanching the food.

[@euniceong595]

I actually do. The beancurd sauce is very addicting

[@nicholasbolas]

If you wanna makan in peace make sure you don't dine with a nutritionist LMAO

[@jantjehouten5806]

Beginning to feel like CBC Marketplace, which is good. Please do more investigative topics like: why are we still paying $5 for caller ID across most telcos? Seems unproportionate to current prices for a line (~$25)

[@WXRBL666]

gosh, that's why! I was playing cbc marketplace as background for past few days, and youtube start to recommend this show to me

[@Bagellatte]

Every food have its good and bad health benefits. Just eat with moderation and keep fit by doing exercise regularly. If i do eat it once a while, I will always ask for less oil, less spice and I also eat it without meat and the ramen. Just lotsa vegetables without rice.

[@dadade]

Every time they on gas, it costs $1? Sure anot!! Like that all the hawkers lose money from the gas liao.

[@AtlantisAng]

From ban main all over, now is mala noodles. Where are the laksa, fishball noodles, wanton mee and prawn mee? Those are the days where these four so easily found. Now so rare, if any, taste horrible. Let's not kid ourselves, taste is so important. muhahaha. Yong tau fu, if only are as flavourful, can be a contender I think.

[@awkydrey]

U open stall lor I go find u

[@MoneywithEumi]

Of course it's not healthy. I cook it myself and the amount of oil I have to use... 🤣 But I make it super spicy, most people won't be able to handle. Cough like hell when I'm cooking the chillis.

[@jcy089]

Don't eat the chili, especially if you can't handle spicy food. Those are for flavoring only... 😂

[@esthertiong]

it is widely believed that pain is pleasure. pleasure stimulates the nervous system to make us happy. so we do it because it makes us happy. but i'm not sure the digestive system agrees with that. well, life's like that. we can't always get what we want LOL

[@munster1404]

Hope mala stores can still survive after this exposé.

[@klvn2266]

yea.. people won't care, if they cared, most fast food joint would've go bankrupt long ago

[@brackpersian]

7:47 "Wah, shyiok, it's really GUUUD, So FREYGreeer-ernt you NOE?"

[@TheSunMoon]

Whoever made a halal version of mala, is a hero 😂

[@yohui5954]

Even in Sichuan & Chongqing, people don't drink the soup of mala hot pot.🤞

[@tngchinghwa]

so mala is unhealthy, got it! Im gonna continue my weekly mlxg feast, been hooked on mala since like 2017, much earlier than the mala hype in sg. so when i die, i die enjoying eating something i love

[@rhomerrubino]

I hope u are single and have no children depending on you, otherwise enjoy

[@vaisravana2092]

@@rhomerrubino You must be fun at parties. Ofc one should try to live healthily, but even a doctor won't be like "Yeah eat that once a week and you will be set for an early grave" A ton of factors come into play, from overall lifestyle to genetics... And then again, mental health directly affects physical health too. If (unhealthy) comfort food makes people happy and is enjoyed with moderation, no fault in that. I think that is the keyword with most things in life...moderation.

[@AtlantisAng]

@@rhomerrubino Weekly wouldn't be bad enough. I eat instant noodles for decades, daily. Time for body check up! The first check I did years ago, no prob with salt level and was the highest amount of instant noodles I had, even for breakfast. Now old, need to see if any difference. Oh ya, I still have hair to those who believe the myth of dropping hair with too much consumption of MSG.

[@huaiwei]

@@AtlantisAng the main issue with instant noodles is not the salt. It is the fats, provided you are eating the traditional fried version. And since not all instant noodles are made the same, or even cooked the same, it is hard to judge just how unhealthy is your diet. Age plays a part too. Try doing this past 60 years old, for instance, and let's see if there is no effect on you. I ate laksa every day when I was 13 to 14 years old and chicken rice every day from 15 to 18 years old. I may have still remained skinny and generally healthy, but I am just genetically lucky, and probably so are you. A few decades later, the methanolic rate changes, and my bmi is now 30. 😉

[@AtlantisAng]

@@huaiwei Yes. Age. Sigh. Anyway I eat them like once to twice a day now cos of working in the office before COVID. I got fat not from instant noodles but from 6 meals. Probably due to too much calories. I hardly chew noodles, they take about 2 days to digest regardless instant version or otherwise. I cut my calories and dropped weight quickly.

[@LifeHacksProducts]

I ate stir friend mala almost 4 times every week.. I fell sick after 3 weeks. Gained around 5-6 kgs. And I stopped after that 😂😂😂

[@angxiang3186]

My Beijing wifi told me ~ sama sama as to Tai Er fish hotpot, don’t drink the soup.

[@priscilla2398]

Eating mama at the same time from the same store as Steven was eating 😂😂

[@WXRBL666]

Hi my fellow Singaporean friends, you are not supposed to drink the soup in Hot pot or whatever soup is in your mala dishes, nobody does that anywhere else in the world.

[@felix5981]

Really? That's new But it tastes good so... 🤷

[@victoriachen6879]

but… we drink it in taiwan too…?

[@Jack_Shian]

I had a bad flu..... which went to see a doctor for 2 times. But still did not recover..... so I went for the MALA hot pot just nearby. HAHA.... The next day I'm fully recovered. So from that day onwards I'll always go for MALA hot pot when ever I cannot recover from a flu

[@ヘイクレイグ]

Do you really now believe that the mala cured your flu? What if you were going to recover the next day anyway?

[@Jack_Shian]

@@ヘイクレイグ tried several times.... Cannot be so exactly every time also going to recover the next day. So several times also works for me. And I'm still doing it until now...

[@s._3560]

The spiciness of the mala basically helped you to get a more runny nose which probably cleared the sinuses. The symptom of a runny nose is your body trying to expel those germs through the nose. If you do a sinus rinse or flush with neti pots, it has the same effect. It may not get rid of all the germs but at least in the sinus area, it reduces the buildup.

[@tikauknow]

Now, I'm hungry at 11.32 PM!? 😅😅

[@07siangal]

As you are talking, i can't help salivate.. Lol. But i was told sg is 湿place, same as sichuan, so a lot of the ingredient is to 去湿。I went to sichuan , the girls are slim and fair with great complexion, so..

[@jinhao80]

I don' think I can quit eating stir fried mala dish. So having it once a while, with less spicy and ordering more vegetable dishes than meat will probably make my craving less sinful..Hope so

[@shiveringisles3509]

You can choose least spicy, less oil and don't pick processed items (meatballs, sausages etc) or red meat, choose more fresh veges and it is no different from much else we eat.

[@keshavnaidu89]

Steven is the best host lah hehe love him

[@petvarietyshow]

Why did you drink the soup 😂unbelievable

[@caoshehuixian]

mala hot pot did not debut in Chonqing, China, until some 100 years ago. then mala became a distinct taste in itself incarnated in other cuisines, such as mala toufu. northern Chinese didn‘t fancy spicy stuffs until recent times thanks to the universaling of mala in China. still many northern Chinese don‘t take to it easily.

[@hahaharithz]

What do they mean the longer its cooked, more good fats become bad fats? 15:25 So hot pot in general is bad? Mookata? KBBQ?

[@goforbroke7598]

That's why i eat them once a month, for those who eat them few times a week will really get cancer soon

[@shiveringisles3509]

Something about the food DNA being damaged due to high heat, which causes DNA damage in mice that ingested it, saw a study some time ago. But still, I don't think people will stop grilling anytime soon, some even love the totally charred meat.

[@eerroorr87]

the mala peanut was funny!!! 🤣

[@Scorpiotide]

They are super good tho! Even addictive haha

[@captainhow_]

mala food originated from china is mostly catered for cold weather condition especially winter unlike the tropical and humid weather like singapore!

[@yuenhai]

Pleb Mala is amazing when it's raining outside

[@ditsygirl5409]

I’ve been to Sichuan. It’s a place of humidity. The Sichuan peppercorn in Mala is actually used to counter the humidity when we consume it! Pls don’t embarrass us if you know nothing!

[@jpranindito]

i grew up with this.. i dont even know if theyre spicy or not anymore...

[@maxayam8268]

Dang, even just watching this makes me drool

[@longangrysausage3495]

I love these documentaries but watching all of them and doctors saying they’re unhealthy makes me feel like “well this is unhealthy, that will cause heart problems, then what do I eat??” Yea I get that we eat these foods in moderation but I would also like to know then, what are we supposed to eat on a regular that is considered healthy? Soup veggies? Or?

[@li_themizfit_il]

food that generally has less oil, less meat, less salt, less processed food, more veggies (that is half cooked, so it retains its nutrients), more nuts and also fruits. Better to cook at home than eat outside, obviously caue outside food will always have more salt and oil etc. Unless u know its not cooked that way. You eat all dishes, you just have to cook it in a healthier way and cut down on processed ingredients.

[@li_themizfit_il]

other than diet, other factors also play for a healthier lifestyle. sleep, exercise, rest, sunshine, fresh air, clean environment, good mental health etc

[@huaiwei]

Glad I am not a fan of mala either. Quite sad to see them pushing out our traditional local cuisines.

[@ylein6508]

Local food have so many layers of taste and umami. Mala is a dish which is one dimensional with only spice and salt. Don’t like it either.

[@shingtay8803]

Neither am I a fan. If I want spicy dishes, my go-to is always Peranakan cuisine. IMHO, it beats mala hands down.

[@goforbroke7598]

That's why people have to stay competitive, if your cuisine is not innovating then other outside food will replace them, simple market theory.

[@huaiwei]

@@goforbroke7598 this is about foreign food taking over local food. Not about innovation. If one wants local food with a fusion twist, there are actually various attempts out there in both restaurants and hawker stalls with varying successes. When American fast food took over coffeeshops, you also said that our local food never innovate as well and turn into fast food?

[@goforbroke7598]

@@huaiwei People are naturally attracted to newer things, and mala is being promoted everywhere on the internet. Local food is not bad, but it's something that they can have everyday and familiar with, so of course they won't give much attention. If local food don't wanna get pushed out, then they have to be better than foreign food, otherwise can't blame outside influence from taking over, that is how free market works.

[@chrisquek2304]

Was indulging in Mala while watching this 🙃🙃

[@kenzen-ul4qo]

Nobody eats mala because they think it's healthy. People eat mala because it's tasty.

[@charlenezhang4690]

Agreed

[@randomguymaniac]

Im not even chinese and mala is like drugs to me 😢

[@Bayen737]

I stopped adding noodles, just choose rice instead, i have so much unconsumed oil left in my mala bowl after finishing. Noodles soak up too much oil

[@Chubbychubysandy]

Very good program guys 😊

[@udcaps]

one could watch the pot and remove the oil constantly, serve up the table when the tofuskin ready. science dude is right about the toxins. like having a grill master at the bbq one should take up the mantle of pot master . steve kilt this

[@mk2.8]

Luckily I only take chicken rice and bubble tea and ice kachang for lunch

[@kitrivers979]

Give me a bowl of pho instead.😅🤣

[@samuelross9884]

I have an idea. Ban mala, everyone must eat steamed rice and fish. Always. Hmm . . . ?

[@faliq8]

I love mala hotpot.

[@xihua12370]

Luckily, I don't particularly eat Mala often. Now, I shall eat it even less 🤔

[@Michelle_Wellbeck]

I'm disappointed they didn't investigate the possible carcinogenic effects

[@huabao0975]

Chilli and sichuan numbing pepper, which part is carcinogenic? These are ingredients used by large population for thousands of years. You can try hemorrhoid, that's more likely.

[@kayonii4655]

the best meal ever in mankind history

[@deschan7947]

Power!!! Love such documentaries. Thanks! Useful, relatable and education info

[@addicted2me]

"We cant be 24/7 healthy whats the point of eating" Thats the line that diabetic people i know tells me. Guess its worth the pain?

[@Cendrawasih444]

HAHA, That sentence is really funny

[@li_themizfit_il]

they wana die young let them die young lol

[@Liz-ux8be]

In China they don't drink the soup unlike our steam boat here.

[@smeagolllgollumm5409]

Used to hate it then grew to like it recently now I decide to continue hating it. Lol.

[@darkjabz]

professional reporter

[@EngineeringFaiz]

Malaysia🇲🇾

[@wpdlhs]

I never knew this guy Steven speaks Mandarin 🤭😅

[@therover65]

If u open restaurant dun invite Steven. 😆

[@ahkl77]

Good doco 👍

[@dogust]

I’m so hungry watching this

[@huiyingtanyayap]

I always order the spiciest and I don’t find it spicy at all … I need more Mala now ! I always sh*t after Mala isn’t that = weight lost ?

[@victoriachen6879]

who’s watching this n eating mala??

[@shiina88]

As a mala lover Interesting fact about mala. anyways...

[@bigstick8699]

Good news and nothing new that the general educated public shouldn't already be aware of, unfortunately not very indepth with the scientific explanations. I would be more curious why theres a correlation between sodium and spice (the spicier the higher the sodium) and the type of oils used. Per less sodium, i would be curious if the same taste, subjectively speaking, can still be achieved or using otger spices to mimic the sodium (ex: calorie free sugar). As for the oil, different oil types of have different burning points. As far as I know, its not how long you cook an oil that would break it down but the heat? Lets say virgin oil has a smoke pt of 410 fahenheit. It would only turn hamrful after 410F (please correct me if im wrong and longevity can destroy the oil too). So in this case, if Im not mistaken, depending onnthe oil and temp used to cook it, the oil can remain healthy at its orginal poly and unsaturated stage.

[@Boris_Chang]

I love spicy food but I don’t like to be sweaty. I guess Cheng Du is out for a retirement home. Maybe Qing Dao instead? Lol.

[@dysfunctionalisme]

The data visualisation in this docu is really terrible. How are people supposed to get your message if you're just saying wow so much sodium wow so much fat

[@Pangolita]

such discreet sponsor

[@shadowflare2838]

Luckily this is one of the dishes I hate eating

[@serene9239]

I love malaaa

[@ReviewMedic]

everything nice is not good, guess I'm dying young then. 🤣

[@li_themizfit_il]

lol not necessarily. depends on what u think is nice.

[@ZZZZdose]

isn't Haidilao more ex, easily 70 per pax when I go

[@LALALA-tw8vt]

Not a fan of it either, don’t find the price justifiable too

[@elleteo]

Oh deAr.. how abt just the Mala seasoning ?

[@sret7880]

Double the calories, but also double the flavor lol

[@SuperAluminum]

For those who care about health, too bad you don't know enjoyment!

[@li_themizfit_il]

nope. all things in moderation

[@burpguyful]

am i the only one sweating watching this video?

[@jasontungjw]

Why are they using forks to eat mala lol

[@waterlily43]

I love it but seldom eat because it's drenched in oil

[@H3adl3sschick3n]

let me guess.. steven is from acs lol

[@mindtwister1984]

ACJC but not sure is he is a true blue ACS boy?

[@RayMak]

It's quite addictive

[@kelsryosun]

Southern Chinese dishes are much healthier e.g. ginger shitake steam fish. Even Thai food is healthier. We eat mala hotpot perhaps once in 2 months. Every Mala dish looks and taste the same i.e. numbing peppercorn.

[@ylein6508]

Yeah Thai food is spicy but has more complex flavours than just numbingly spicy

[@kelsryosun]

Do China people eat Mala on daily basis like every meal? The sodium is so high. Not sure why China promotes mala hotpot as part of main food culture that is so unhealthy. China regional food varies between provinces.

[@user-qwertyuiopasdfghj]

@Xina Zhong apparently you can’t afford nice ones

[@goforbroke7598]

@Xina Zhong i like thai food as well, but you are generalizing on chinese food. Cheap chinese food will be what you describe, but not the more decent ones. You can easily spend a few hundred bucks in a chinese restaurant, it takes good skills to prepare chinese food

[@goforbroke7598]

Have to know the culture of mala first, some regions in china are very humid so they need chilli to keep them warm. Due to poverty back then, many can't afford much good food, so they just fry everything with spicy peppercorn and chilli to make the food tastes good. But now people eat spicy food to destress and like the stimulation, depends on preference of each person

[@landscaperdr2928]

Well, if it's tasty, it can't be healthy. 😮‍💨

[@Joseph6798-t6p]

Hi can you give us the locations/outlets of his stall? You ma you la

[@wenwuipu5831]

Nothing makes a good OG Mala hotpot than some good old gutter oil… no thanks for me.

[@zukodude487987]

Im glad they talk about saturated fats. There are a lot of idiots these days that think its healthy for you.

[@sunnyside100]

whatever, I'm still going to eat mala dish.