【精英翻譯關注新聞】In spite of negative reports, mala hot pot remains popular among diners台瘋麻辣鍋 @ 【精英翻譯】的部落格

In spite of negative reports, mala hot pot remains popular among diners (2014/02/27)

Business was affected at the popular mala hot pot chain Tripod King after a report alleged that its soup base, purported to be made with natural ingredients, actually contains processed foods. But one chain’s struggles are not expected to damage Taiwan’s love of mala and spicy hot pot.

Workers busily add soup base and ingredients to the hot pot. It’s past normal lunchtime hours but business is still booming.

Some pots are filled with red oil and meat slices. Lighter options are available for customers who want a healthier meal.

On cold days, enough soup base to fill three of these 50-liter barrels is sold. At popular hot pot restaurants located in lively areas of Taipei, revenues can reach upwards of NT$8 million in a month.

Jheng Wen-ji
Hot Pot Restaurant Manager
Dietary habits are changing. So now in every season, even summer, people come for hot pot.

Soup base can also be purchased at hypermarkets and other stores. Tens of thousands of servings are sold every year.

Wu En-wen
Food Expert
I think Taiwanese youth are relatively open to mala and spicy hot pot. The (mala) pot has a very strong flavor that goes well with many types of food ingredients. That makes it well suited to young people gathering for meals.

Taiwan’s love of hot pot is enough for the industry to weather concerns over the ingredients used to make its soup base.

台瘋麻辣鍋

台灣火鍋商機，一年上看300億！尤其都會區，吃到飽的麻辣鍋店，更是越開越多。某些指標性的連鎖麻辣鍋店，單月旺季時，營業額可達900多萬。連大賣場的麻辣鍋底，一年都能銷出6萬包。究竟台灣人為什麼這麼愛麻辣鍋？來看我們的觀察報導。

店員忙著幫顧客加湯加料，即使過了午後用餐時間，照樣高朋滿座。

在佈滿紅油的湯頭，涮肉片，或者想吃清淡口味，還有養生湯鴛鴦鍋可選擇。

只要寒流一來，這桶50公升的麻辣湯底，店家一天，就要準備三大桶才夠賣。台北知名麻辣鍋連鎖店，只要在鬧區，月平均營業額，都上看600到800萬。

[[麻辣鍋業者鄭文基]]
現在因為飲食的型態在改變，所以說，所以說現在夏天哪，不管什麼季節都還是有人吃鍋。

量販賣場，也有方便民眾直接買回家加熱的「麻辣湯底」，業者一年，可以賣掉6萬包。

[[美食家吳恩文]]
吃個小麻跟小辣的一個鍋，我覺得在台灣的年輕人，接受度是比較高的，那加上它(麻辣鍋)是重口味，重口味跟很多食材都很搭，所以它非常適合年輕人去聚餐。

美食觀察家認為，麻辣鍋之所以這麼受歡迎，就是因為國人對川辣口味接受度，越來越高。