Quick! Get A Chew Lala Plushie Before He Goes Into Hibernation

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Apr 21, 2023 8:28 pm | Add a comment | 122 reads

If you attended our Hot & Spicy Fest last weekend then you’ll undoubtedly have seen our Spicy Fest mascot Chew Lala. Perhaps you were even lucky enough to get your picture taken with him!

As cute as he is, some people at the festival were a little confused about just what animal Chew Lala is – he’s not a squirrel, nor a hutong yellow weasel! No, Chew Lala (鼩辣辣) is a Chinese tree shrew (树鼩 shù qú), the only mammals besides us humans that seek out spicy things to eat.

Scientists have found that Chinese tree shrews have mutated taste receptors that makes them less susceptible to capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their spiciness. Tree shrews regularly consume a non-pepper plant found in their environment that contains capsaicin – though they're also perfectly fine with eating a chili or two when presented with them.

The real Chinese tree shrew

As an animal that loves spice it was a no-brainer that Chew Lala would be the perfect mascot for Spicy Fest.

If you find this adorable little fellow as adorable as we do, then why not get your own Chew Lala plushie? You’ll have to act fast though because we're almost sold out, and after that he’ll be going into hibernation, not to be seen until Spicy Fest next year.

We've lowered the price to clear existing stock, so grab yours now by scanning the QR code in the poster below!