The difference between maocai and malatang

Maocai and Malatang are two common dishes, but many people confuse the two. In fact, there is a big difference between the two. The most authentic maocai is Chengdu maocai, while the most famous malatang are Northeastern malatang and Sichuan malatang. This article compares the relevant information of maocai and malatang. You can take a look at it. It is beneficial to know more about it. In addition, it is recommended that you eat malatang or maocai in moderation.

Similarities between maocai and malatang

1. All of them are spicy;

2. The ingredients are similar, including various vegetarian dishes such as lotus root slices, potato slices, green bamboo shoots, and black fungus, as well as meat dishes such as beef, duck intestines, and liver.

The difference between maocai and malatang

1. The finished product form is different

Maocai is cooked by putting all the ingredients in a pot with a strainer, while malatang is eaten by putting ingredients on bamboo skewers and boiling them in the pot. Therefore, Malatang is also called Mala Chuan, and in Chengdu and its surrounding areas it is called Chuan Chuan Xiang.

2. Different consumption levels

Maocai is sold in portions, and one can eat a full meal for 10-20 yuan per person, which is like fast food. Malatang is usually sold in skewers, with small skewers costing 0.15 yuan and large skewers having different prices, ranging from 30 to 6.70 yuan per person, which is more suitable for dinner and midnight snack.

3. Different dining styles

Malatang is a deformed small hotpot, which is between a full meal and fast food, and is enjoyed slowly while sitting down; whereas maocai is an instant food, which belongs to fast food and has a fast dining speed and a high turnover rate.

4. Different sales formats

Malatang is similar to a full meal and occupies a larger business area. Therefore, the investment amount is relatively high, generally more than 30,000 yuan (street spicy hot pot is a different matter). Maocai is a fast food that does not require a large operating area. It can be operated in a store or sold on the street from a cart. The investment is relatively low, and it can be started with less than 20,000 yuan.

5. Different production methods

Malatang is prepared by the seasoning worker in the back kitchen. The soup is then brought to the front desk, where customers order and blanch the soup themselves. Maocai is prepared by the kitchen staff who cook the ordered maocai (measured in portions or bowls) and then add the core ingredients specially made for maocai before serving it directly to the customers.