WORLDWIDE APPETITE FOR CHONGQING HOTPOT

Local authorities keep close eye on spicy cuisine's development

In the recent Chinese science fiction blockbuster The Wandering Earth, astronaut Liu Peiqiang tells Russian cosmonaut Makarov that he will invite him to have hotpot in Chongqing after they return to Earth. But Makarov dies before he can make the trip to China.

Although the death scene in the movie is upsetting, fans of this strongly flavored and oily local dish are delighted to see that their favorite food has become well-known - even in space.