Spicy, sweet and curiously chewy, Chinese latiao -- literally "spicy strips" -- are made by cooking wheat flour dough at a high temperature and pressure.

Despite their reputation as junk food, the snacks originally developed as emergency supplies have grown into an industry worth more than 60 billion yuan ($8.9 billion).

The factory that AFP visited in Hunan province's Pingjiang turns out nearly 700 tonnes per day of the spongy, red-coloured strips, which look like squashed French fries covered in oil.

The plant's operator Mala Wangzi currently sells all of that domestically, but latiao have acquired new legions of foreign fans spurred by online enthusiasm for Chinese culture, or "Chinamaxxing".

"Latiao are now exported to more than 160 countries worldwide, showing that the market is moving increasingly towards internationalisation," Li Manliang, Mala Wangzi's vice president, told AFP.

Some brands have expanded into East and Southeast Asia, where they are growing rapidly, while consumers from the United States to Australia are snapping up the snacks in specialist grocery stores, e-commerce platforms and via TikTok.

The country's largest latiao producer, Hong Kong-listed Weilong, made 117 million yuan from overseas sales last year, up nearly 50 percent from 2024.

TikTok and Instagram are awash with videos of foreigners trying the fiery snacks.

One influencer gained 1.5 million views by chowing down on a model house made entirely of the glutinous strips.

In another TikTok video with 2.6 million views, an Australian reviewer tucked into a giant latiao.

"If you can handle your spice, I think you would enjoy this," she said. "Highly, highly recommend."

- 'Quite addictive' -

Latiao were created in Pingjiang in 1998 as an emergency staple food, after devastating floods wiped out the local soybean crop.

They became ubiquitous in supermarkets across China, but gained a reputation as unhealthy and unsanitary -- an image latiao brands have spent years trying to counter.

"When I was young, my parents believed they contained too many additives," 22-year-old Beijing resident Wang Jingfei told AFP.

"But as the industry has developed and more brands have emerged, food safety has drawn a lot of attention... so I don't think it's a big problem to eat it now and then."

At the Mala Wangzi facility, an employee livestreamed the factory floor to showcase its hygienic conditions.

Li, the company's vice president, claimed these were based on standards used in the pharmaceutical industry.

And the recipe has changed to make the snack healthier, he said. "We're reducing the use of oil, salt, sugar and additives, and using more natural raw ingredients."

The company has made other concerted efforts to appeal to younger buyers, its main consumer base.

Mala Wangzi has opened pop-up museums around the country, held more than 4,000 latiao-themed weddings for superfan couples, and sponsored e-sport events, music festivals, and animation conventions.

"I find latiao is quite addictive and also stress-relieving," said 24-year-old Yang Xuhao.

"When I don't feel like having a proper meal, I'll just eat latiao instead. I also like to snack on them while watching TV shows."

But not everyone is sold on the snack's rehabilitation.

Li Peng, 22, said he had kicked the latiao habit he developed in his school days.

"I want to have a healthy lifestyle and get in shape, so I've stopped eating them," he said.

In a video watched 2.8 million times, a foreign reviewer described it as "kind of like chewy tofu" and "very oily".