Mala madness: Woman rushes to A&E after hotpot dinner

From having a meal out with the family straight to an emergency ward. 

One TikTok user Fuyumimirai who was enjoying her mala soup at an unnamed hotpot restaurant on Thursday (June 16) ended up rushing to the National University Hospital's (NUH) accident and emergency (A&E) department after her experience with a Sichuan peppercorn.

No, it wasn't an allergic reaction to it nor did it have anything to do with her being overawed by the signature spicy and numbing flavours of mala seasoning.

A Sichuan peppercorn apparently got lodged in Fuyumimirai's throat and she was unable to remove it. 

On June 17, the woman posted a 44-second clip on TikTok relating about her embarrassing experience.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@fuyumimirai/video/7109875547450182914?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7067902126991869442[/embed]

With soup bubbling away and an array of food on the table, nothing looked amiss at the start of the video.

However, a sip of the mala soup and a bite of enoki mushrooms set the tone for the beginning of Fuyumimirai's peppercorn nightmare.

She "ate lots of rice and ice cream" thereafter in an attempt to ease the discomfort. Even poking her throat with a spoon and chopstick did not work.

That's when Fuyumimirai decided it might be best to seek help at a nearby clinic. 

En route to the clinic, the TikTok user filmed a few seconds of her mum sitting beside her in the backseat of a cab.

"Mum probably wonders why is her daughter like this," the caption read.

She told AsiaOne that the clinic they went to was not medically equipped to handle her situation.

"I did ask twice to double confirm and both times, they suggested we head to the A&E," Fuyumimirai added.

At the hospital, she had to awkwardly explain to nurses and doctors what happened in the restaurant.

She told AsiaOne: "The doctors and nurse looked at me and smiled but some were holding back a little but overall, everyone was extremely friendly and helpful.

If you think her experience is rather one of a kind, it apparently isn't.

In the comments section, a fellow TikTok user wrote about how they had a similar experience eating mala as well.

Another TikTok user wondered if she kept the peppercorn for a keepsake. 

"No, I did not ask. I don't want it either. I was in pain and the only thing I wanna do is get it out and get over with it HAHA," Fuyumimirai responded.

After three hours of being at the hospital, the peppercorn was removed from her throat. However, Fuyumimirai was clear that the experience did not hinder her love for mala.

"Is this going to stop me from eating more mala? Nope," she said in the video.

While there's nothing wrong with loving spicy food, overindulgence can cause digestive problems, according to gastroenterologist Wang Yu Tien.

Although long-term health problems are unlikely to occur, issues like heartburn, gastritis and peptic ulcers can intensify from eating spicy foods.

ALSO READ: Singapore hospital warns against eating hotpot more than once a month, seafood and chicken broths among least healthy

amierul@asiaone.com