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KVIBE IDOLS › Food guides › Korean dishes explained › 마라탕 (maratang)
🍜 Korean dishes explained
Malatang in Korea마라탕 · maratang
What is it?
A Chinese (Sichuan) soup flavoured with numbing Sichuan pepper and chilli oil. In Korea it became a youth staple: you fill a bowl with vegetables, noodles, tofu, fish balls and meat, pay by weight, and choose a spice level. Mala xiang guo is the dry stir-fried version.
How to eat it
- Take a bowl and tongs, fill it from the fridge display, then hand it to the counter to weigh.
- Spice levels usually run 0–3 or mild to extra hot — start at 1.
- Add meat (lamb/beef) for a set extra price.
- Typical price
- ₩10,000–15,000 (by weight)
Where to try it
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Is malatang Korean food?
No, it is Chinese, but its Korean pick-and-weigh shops are a big local trend, often with tanghulu for dessert.
Is it vegetarian?
You can pick only vegetables, but the broth usually contains beef or bone stock.
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