If you’ve been following food trends for the past year or so, then you probably already know that mala is one of the hottest dishes right now, both literally and figuratively.
And as is often the case with foods that become hype, companies have created all kinds of different products to capitalise on its sudden popularity (It’s something we like to call “The Salted Egg Phenomenon”).
Among all the self-heating hotpots and instant noodles, however, these Mala Chips just might be our favourite thing to come out of the mala craze.
It’s Getting Hot In Here
Created by local snack brand Mala Mala (you know they’re not playing around when they name their entire company after the dish), these mala chips are a dream snack for any spicy food lover.
The chips come in two varieties: Mushroom Chips and Hand-Cut Potato Wedges. While the wedges provide a more traditional snacking experience (think potato chips, but thicker), the mushroom chips add another dimension of…well, mushroom to the flavour profile.
The choices don’t stop there, however — for the sake of people who can’t handle hot food, the chips are available in three levels of spiciness: Mild Spicy, Super Spicy and Crazy Spicy.
Thanks to the addition of key mala ingredients like Szechuan chilli, peppercorn and star anise, even the mild option possesses the dish’s signature kick (without the oiliness that usually comes with it, thankfully).
Fair warning, though — that signature kick also comes with a lingering heat in your mouth (an especially long one, if you go for the crazy option), so we’d suggest attempting these with a cold drink in hand.
Price-wise, a bag of four 30g packets costs $8 and $9 for the Hand-Cut Potato Wedges and Mushroom Chips respectively. You can head over to the Mala Mala website to order a bag, or head over to their physical store at The Paragon if you don’t feel like waiting.
We’ve seen a lot of weird snacks in recent months, but unlike Chicken Rice and Egg Prata potato chips, these mala chips actually make some sense.
Spicy flavours have always had a place in the snacking world (who doesn’t like some Calbee Hot & Spicy?), and for those looking to take things to the next level, this could be your new favourite snack.
(Header Image Source: Mala Mala)
