'mala' (sense 'mala' as Chinese flavor) originates from Mandarin Chinese, specifically the characters '麻辣' (pinyin 'málà'), where '麻' originally meant 'numbing' (from Sichuan pepper) and '辣' meant 'spicy'; the other sense 'mala' (prayer beads) originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'mālā', where 'mālā' meant 'garland' or 'necklace (string of beads)'.

'mala' (Chinese sense) entered English more recently via transliteration of Mandarin 'málà' as Chinese cuisine spread internationally; 'mala' (bead sense) was borrowed earlier from Sanskrit 'mālā' (often via Hindi or other South Asian languages) into English to name the prayer-bead garland.

The original Chinese term '麻辣' literally referred to 'numbing' + 'spicy' and retains that meaning in English as the 'mala' flavor; the Sanskrit 'mālā' originally meant 'garland' and has kept the core sense in English as a 'string of beads' used for prayer or meditation.