Chongqing- On May 28, a shipment of Hotpot Queen's chili sauce and Chongqing noodles (xiao mian) set sail from Chongqing, China, bound for Shanghai. From there, it will be shipped to the United States and Australia, where it is expected to land by the end of June. This marks another milestone for Liao Weijia, an entrepreneur determined to bring Sichuan mala's spicy, tingly world to the global stage.

The product of Hotpot Queen. (Photo/Liao Weijia)

As the founder of Hotpot Queen, Liao has already placed her fiery products in 650 U.S. supermarkets and 330 Australian stores. Aiming to introduce mala as the "sixth taste" after Umami to international audiences, she is on a mission to make the bold flavors of Sichuan a household name outside of China.

Liao Weijia, the founder of Hotpot Queen. (Photo/Liao Weija)

Liao's journey began with her family's legacy in the hotpot industry. Her mother, He Yongzhi, known as the "Hotpot Queen" in China, founded the famous Chongqing Cygnet Hotpot, which also created the iconic Yuanyang hotpot—a divided pot offering spicy and non-spicy broth. This legacy of spicy food shaped Liao's passion for introducing Sichuan flavors to the world.

Liao moved to the U.S. in 2021, during a period when Asian cuisine was quickly gaining popularity in mainstream supermarkets. The surge in demand for Asian food has prompted major retail chains like Walmart to broaden their product selection. Market research firm Circana reports that sales in the "Asian/Traditional Foods" sections of U.S. supermarkets have quadrupled from April of last year to April of this year.

However, Chinese condiments were still confined to price wars within the Asian community, limiting their reach. "Even if you take over all the Asian supermarkets in the U.S., there are only 1,000 points of sale. Entering the mainstream market means a blue ocean of 30,000 stores," Liao explains. 

Hotpot Queen's products are on the shelves of Fresh Thyme Market, a regional American organic food supermarket chain. (Photo/Liao Weijia)

To make her products more appealing to American consumers, Liao revamped the packaging with bright, modern designs. Her bestseller, "Crunchy Garlic Chili Crisp with Tingly Mala," emerged after Liao rebranded "Chongqing Chili Crisp," which wasn't resonating. "It didn't sell well because people didn't know what Chongqing was. After the name change, it became my bestseller," she says.

Hotpot Queen's 2023 debut at California's Natural Products Expo West became a turning point. Retailers flocked to samples, but production hurdles soon followed. "Glass jars leaked. I lost sleep worrying about recalls. But 7 out of 10 people who taste our product buy it- that kept us going," said Liao.

Inventory management is a challenge for Liao, as spicy products perform better in colder months. "The best time is during Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Chinese New Year, while summer is a low season," she says. With two warehouses on the U.S. East and West coasts, Liao maintains a three-month supply on hand to meet fluctuating demand.

Liao is expanding into Europe and Canada while exploring localized production to mitigate U.S.-China trade tensions. "The U.S. is not the only market," she notes, displaying a flexible strategic vision.

For Liao, it's more than business- it's about sharing Sichuan culture and improving China's global image. "As spicy becomes mainstream, we're bringing Sichuan flavors to Western kitchens while spreading Chinese culture," she says.