China’s biggest hot pot chain has released a line of earrings shaped like chili peppers, lotus root, and mushrooms. We stan.
If the lingering smell of chili oil on your shirt after a night of spicy hot pot isn't enough to show your love of mala, the Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao has the answer for you: cute little earrings shaped like miniature hot pot ingredients.
They come in classics like chili peppers and star anise, two core ingredients in a Sichuan-style hot pot broth, as well as mushrooms and lotus root.
But if jewelry isn't your thing, Haidilao also has sticky notes shaped like a four-way hot pot cauldron, as well as these handy sleeve protectors, which can keep the oil from splashing onto your clothes while you're trying to get a slippery lotus root onto your plate.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the merch is available outside of mainland China"for now.
Meanwhile, hot pot has become popular the world over. The communal style of eating involves a group of people gathered around a simmering broth to dip slices of raw meat, vegetables, and other ingredients until they're fully cooked.
In particular, Sichuan Province's brand of mouth-numbingly spicy hot pot, known as mala 麻辣, has taken off. Haidilao, the largest purveyor of Sichuan hot pot, has over 400 restaurants spread across more than five countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United States.
Its biggest competitor in China, Xiaolongkan, is set to open its first U.S. location in New York early next year.
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