Malatang's magic

Tianshui, a lesser-known small city in Northwest China, gained in popularity simply because of a signature street snack — a spicy hotpot called malatang.

Ha Haiying, owner of Ha Haiying Malatang, never expected that her restaurant would experience a huge increase in customers because of a short video.

In February last year, a seven-second video featuring the malatang served at Ha's restaurant went viral on social media, drawing a large influx of food enthusiasts and social media influencers to Tianshui to explore its culinary delights and share their experiences online.

Ha said the customer numbers tripled or quadrupled soon after the video's release, a phenomenon she had never experienced in her 28-year restaurant career. "The customer flow has dropped from the peak period, but it still takes over an hour to get a seat on weekends and holidays," she said.

He Xiaozu, head of Gansu's culture and tourism department, said malatang transformed Tianshui into a popular travel destination, bringing the provincial tourism market into peak season two months earlier than usual.

Statistics from Tianshui's culture and tourism bureau show that the city, with 3 million residents, received 59.5 million visits in 2024, up 23.9 percent year-on-year, and generated tourism revenue of 38.3 billion yuan, an increase of 25.6 percent.

Zhang Hui, deputy director of the Maiji Mountain scenic area's management committee, said the popularity of Tianshui's malatang led to a 53 percent increase in visits last year.

To attract and retain tourists, the scenic area will upgrade its infrastructure and create new visitor experiences this year, he said.

The rise in malatang consumption has also boosted the production, processing and sales of local agricultural products, especially the raw materials used in its production.

Xie Gong, general manager of Xiaolage Agricultural Technology Co, who has grown Gangu chili peppers for three years, a main ingredient of Tianshui malatang, expanded the planting area from 33.3 to 100 hectares as demand for the product soared.

"Previously, I only sold fresh or dried chili peppers. After malatang became popular, I registered my own brand and set up a plant to produce a range of products, including chili powder, chili oil and chili sauce," he said.

From March to August last year, major chili distributors in Gangu county sold 1,118.2 metric tons of chili products, with total sales of 44.6 million yuan, a fivefold increase year-on-year, according to statistics from the county's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.