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Review: We tried Golden Duck's Sichuan Mala Hot Hot Pot fragrant mix and we have mixed feelings

The Golden Duck Sichuan Mala Hot Hot Pot fragrant mix. (PHOTO: The Golden Duck Co.)
The Golden Duck Sichuan Mala Hot Hot Pot fragrant mix. (PHOTO: The Golden Duck Co.)

SINGAPORE — Bring up the word ‘mala’ and fans will go crazy over the immediate thought of ‘mala’ steamboat soup. ‘Mala’ which means numbing spice, originates from Sichuan province in China. The fiery sauce we get from hot pot soup, comes from the Sichuan peppercorn or dried chilli peppers.

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So that’s the gist of ‘mala’. Hot on the heels of The Golden Duck’s predecessor, the Sichuan Mala Hot Pot Fragrant Mix, is the new Mala Hot Hot (yes double) Pot Fragrant Mix. The difference? This comes with Spice Level 9, Numb Level 7 for spice-loving fans. Each 108g packet comes with a mix of beancurd skin, mushrooms and crunchy fish skin.

The Golden Duck Sichuan Hot Hot Pot Fragrant Mix. (PHOTO: The Golden Duck Co.)
The Golden Duck Sichuan Hot Hot Pot Fragrant Mix. (PHOTO: The Golden Duck Co.)

So we braced ourselves and dug in to try the new flavour. This is what we thought:

Joel: “If you enjoy spicy snacks, this is for you! My immediate thoughts were: Burn baby burn! This snack will remind you of Game of Thrones... Dracarys! I like spicy, but Tabasco spicy.”

Cadence: “I love mala and beancurd, but I’m not sure about this two combination... together. The level of spiciness is also just... one-dimensional.”

Reta: “I can see the chilli flakes, am I going to regret this? Wow, it’s spicy, and the smell is going up to my nose. Okay, it’s really spicy. I enjoy snacking but I don’t think I’m going to appreciate the level of spiciness.”