‘We Try It’ is a regular series where we try the latest off-beat food and beverage (and toothpaste) offerings.
For the Sichuan hot pot lovers of the world, we’ve found a quirky product that’s sure to leave your mouth scorched.
Leng Suan Ling toothpaste company recently teamed up with Chengdu-based hot pot chain Xiaolong Kan to give customers a dental experience like no other. Their new ‘hot pot toothpaste’ has been an absolute hit on Tmall, with a near-perfect rating on the ecommerce platform.
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
The mouth-numbing dental product comes in a set of three sweat-inducing flavors: ‘medium’ spicy, ‘mouth numbing’ spicy and ‘challenge your spice level’ spicy. Each 60-gram tube also includes a chili indicator at the top with the mildest measured at two chilies and the spiciest measured at five.
Mildest to spiciest (from left to right). Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
We started with the mildest flavor, which has a faint hint of piquant peppers, somewhat similar to a mint-flavored toothpaste, but with a slight kick. After brushing for just over a minute, though, a burning sensation began to set in. That feeling was weak, however, when compared to the ‘mouth numbing’ and ‘challenge your spice level’ toothpastes – the latter of which had us sweating bullets.
Perhaps the worst part of the spiciest toothpaste variety was the fact that the hot, hot, heat spread to our lips, where it felt like a flesh-eating chemical was devouring our tender skin. Needless to say, we washed out our mouths more than a few times to put out the flames, so to speak.
Admittedly, others who have tried and reviewed the spicy toothpaste have posted remarks like: “Just right, but could use a little more spiciness. I’m not afraid,” referring to a common question the lovely waitresses in Chengdu hot pot shops will ask while ordering: ‘Ni pa la ma?’ (‘Do you fear the spice?’).
Image by Matthew Bossons/That’s
All in all, people seem to f’in love the stuff, with several Taobao users commenting on the toothpaste’s flavor, saying it was quite enjoyable.
But while we can appreciate toothpaste that offers something different, let’s face it: there’s only one reason we brush our teeth and it’s not to taste hot pot. And, even though we found the experience riveting as far as dental hygiene experiences go, our teeth honestly didn’t feel any cleaner by the end of it, making it a fun gift for a friend, but probably not the best tool to avoid cavities.
Three-packs of hot pot toothpaste can be purchased on Taobao for RMB126 (prices vary depending on seller).
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[Cover image by Ryan Gandolfo/That’s]
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