Members of percussion group STOMP pose for a group photo at Málà Project in New York City in August (DING YING)

If cooking is like composing music, with each ingredient blending into a delicate flavor, coaxed to its fullest through skill and patience, then spicy dishes are the pop and crackle of percussion. Peppercorns hit the tongue like a snare drum, and chilies simmer like timpani.

It's no surprise, then, that the world famous percussion group STOMP would find inspiration at a Sichuan restaurant. The group gathered in August at Málà Project—the restaurant in New York City that is bringing tongue-numbing dry hot pot to local foodies—to tap, ting and kick a celebration to this aromatic style of dish.

Luke Cresswell, one of STOMP's founders and a self-proclaimed fan of Chinese cuisine, spoke to reporters at the promotional event. This summer and autumn saw the group on tour in China, with performances in Beijing and Macao. Since its founding in 1991, STOMP has performed more than 20,000 times in 53 countries.

The group's signature style revolves around using everyday objects, such as brooms, garbage cans, matchboxes and buckets, to create infectious beats. Each percussionist contributes to the movement and theatrics that make up the invigorating performances, and the group holds open auditions to recruit performers for talent and style, regardless of experience.

"I started as a street performer," said Cresswell. "So, I started with sounds that I could find. You see things differently and try to find new uses out of them."

The show's popularity stems from the human connection to tapping, beating and drumming that seems to be a universal quality, according to the co-founder. Rhythm is "universal and everywhere," he said. "Whether we're in Mexico, China, Japan or Thailand, it doesn't matter. Everybody loves rhythm." STOMP connects rhythm and humor in a way that is immediately recognizable to anyone, he added.

Cresswell said that teaming up with Málà Project felt like a good fit. The restaurant is located near STOMP's home base, the Orpheum Theater in New York City's East Village neighborhood, and is a popular spot with the cast.

"It was a combination of the fact that [Málà Project] was here, close to the theater, and I really like the feel of the place. It felt like a nice combination. It's a way to support our neighborhood," Cresswell said.

In a city with multitudinous Chinese restaurants, boasting cuisine from every province and region of China, Málà Project is a standout for its dry hot pot. The restaurant, owned by a pair of 24-year-old Chinese women, offers a choice of 52 ingredients, priced from $3 to $8, that are cooked with chili oil and plenty of the renowned Sichuan peppercorns from which Málà—which translates to "numbing and spicy"—derives its name.

While many New Yorkers are familiar with the communal soup they have come to call Chinese hot pot, few know of the Sichuan dry style of hot pot offered at Málà. Ai Meng, one of the restaurant's owners, told Beijing Review that cooking the dry hot pot is similar to the way STOMP creates music. Each ingredient, or note, is incorporated into the hot oil and then tossed and stirred until harmony is achieved. Garlic, ginger and scallions create savory synergy with delicacies like pig arteries, chicken hearts and tripe. Unlike soup, dry hot pot preserves the flavor of each ingredient. Some dry hot pot chefs use as many as 47 different herbs, spices and other seasonings in their blend.

True to its Sichuan roots, Málà Project subscribes to the belief that spicy food is good for your health. There are four hotness levels, from Westerner-friendly mild to pro-level "super spicy." The ginger, chili peppers, orange peel and ginseng in the spice blend are thought to cleanse the body and regulate the blood. Co-owner Amelie Kang, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America, told food and drink media company Tasting Table that many people perceive Chinese food as greasy and heavy, but dry hot pot has "actual health benefits."

To celebrate its collaboration with STOMP, Málà Project has created a special dessert, a combination of jelly, beans, watermelon and popping candy. STOMP, for its part, offers a complimentary appetizer or dessert at Málà Project with the purchase of each show ticket.

(Reporting from New York City)

The author is a contributing writer to Beijing Review, living in New York City

Copyedited by Chris Surtees

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