Zaopo vinegar hot pot, a signature dish of Hainan

Zaopo vinegar hot pot, or zaopocu in Chinese, is a popular dish enjoyed year-round by locals in Hainan. Due to its striking resemblance in color to Thailand's tom yum goong, it is often called "Hainan's version of tom yum." However, the two dishes have distinctly different flavors.

Originating in Puqian Town, Wenchang, zaopo vinegar hot pot is made from fermented distillers' grains, a byproduct of rice wine production. It is commonly sold in local markets at an affordable price. A typical zaopo vinegar hot pot includes conch, sea fish, shrimp, seaweed, and beef, offering a bold garlicky, sour, and spicy flavor with every bite.

Thanks to its growing popularity among tourists nationwide, traditional zaopo vinegar hot pot is gaining recognition. Efforts are underway to nominate the dish as a provincial intangible cultural heritage, and this iconic sour soup is steadily making its way beyond Hainan.