Sanya, why are you so delicious?

A city that makes people feel happy will never lack delicious food! Cuisine is one of the calling cards of a city, and each flavor is filled with endless charm. Strolling leisurely on the streets of Sanya, you will find that, in addition to playing by the sea and taking photos, this city also hides many delicious dishes.

Seafood | Delicious

How delightful it is to enjoy unlimited seafood! Fresh and lively seafood just caught from the sea, full of the vibrancy and scent of the ocean. Sanya, with its residents living by the sea, is never short of seafood, and this abundance has given rise to a unique culinary culture.

鱼虾蟹贝类

Fish, Shrimp, Crabs, and Shellfish

At the seafood market, you can find everything from crabs and lobsters to shellfish and a variety of fish. You can select your preferred seafood and then take it to a nearby seafood processing shop to have it prepared.

Crab meat is plump and full, with abundant roe; lobster is tender and juicy, with a smooth texture; shellfish are sweet and delicious, rich in nutrients; and there is a wide variety of fish, each with its own unique way of preparation. Whether it's steamed, braised, garlic-flavored, or made into soup, you can savor the authentic flavors and unique charm of Sanya's seafood.

海胆蒸蛋

Sea Urchin Steamed Egg

Steamed egg with sea urchin is a unique delicacy in Sanya, known for its smooth texture and sweet, fresh flavor, as well as its high nutritional value. By combining fresh sea urchin with eggs and steaming them, the dish results in a tender and delicate egg custard, with the sea urchin adding a rich and juicy oceanic taste.

港门粉

Gangmen Rice Noodle Soup

When it comes to the most characteristic rice noodle dish in Sanya, it has to be "Gangmen Rice Noodle Soup." The dish starts with thin rice sheets made from rice batter, which are layered and then quickly cut into finger-thick strips. These are then topped with fish cake strips, crushed peanuts, fried shrimp skins, bean sprouts, and pickled mustard greens. Finally, a rich broth is poured over the top, and the dish is sprinkled with scallions, making it a complete sensory experience with its color, aroma, and flavor. The soup is the essence of the dish, made from a creamy white broth simmered with pork bones and sea clams, which is sweet and delicious, complementing the fragrance of the noodles and seafood accessories, making it irresistible. For those who like spicy food, adding Hainan's yellow lantern chili sauce or red chili sauce can add a spicy, fresh, and hot kick to the dish, making the slurping of the noodles an incredibly satisfying experience!

疍家菜粽

Dan Family Rice Dumplings

A wooden boat, a small family of three to five, cooking on the boat, casting nets to fish... The Dan family lives a nomadic life on a flat boat, their unique livelihood and wandering lifestyle have led to the formation of a distinctive Dan culture, which in turn has given rise to a full-flavored seafood feast and a unique culinary tradition.

During festivals, Dan Family Rice Dumplings, made with lettuce leaves, glutinous rice, shrimp, dried squid, meat, and ham, are an indispensable snack on the tables of the Dan family.

Each zongzi is a deep conversation between the sea and rice, with a rich variety of fillings. The rich flavor of pork, the sweetness of shrimp, and the soft and sticky texture of glutinous rice blend perfectly together. With one bite, the distinct layers of flavor are incredibly delicious.

虾饼

Shrimp Cake

One of Sanya's traditional snacks, a thin layer of flour wraps fresh shrimp and chives, deep-fried until crispy, and then topped with a bit of chili sauce, making it so delicious that you can't stop eating.

Meat | Crispy

When you're hungry and tired from playing by the sea, nothing beats eating meat in big bites for happiness. Besides seafood, Sanya also has its own internet-famous hearty dishes. These bosses must have exclusive secrets, right? You can almost smell the aroma through the screen!

藤桥排骨

Tengqiao Pork Ribs

Tengqiao Pork Ribs is a signature dish in Sanya, made from locally sourced Tengqiao free-range pork ribs. The ribs are marinated with a mixture of ginger and garlic juice, honey, and other seasonings, then slowly deep-fried until cooked. They are characterized by a crispy exterior and tender interior, offering a delicious flavor. The ribs are particularly flavorful and chewy when served hot, straight from the fryer.

渔村炸鸡

Fishing Village Fried Chicken

This internet-famous fried chicken is hidden in a fishing village, and most visitors to the village come for the fried chicken. The chicken is coated with a thin layer of batter and fried on the spot until it's golden and crispy, juicy on the inside. The dipping sauce for the fried chicken is unique; it's a special sweet and sour vinegar made in-house. When paired with the chicken, it's just right in flavor and not too greasy. You can easily eat a piece after piece and finish a plate in no time. After the meal, having a bowl of Qing Bu Liang (a type of refreshing dessert soup) is incredibly satisfying!

Glutinous Rice | Sweet

Whether it's steamed to a soft and chewy texture or stir-fried to a sweet and crispy finish, people in Sanya enjoy adding a touch of sweetness to glutinous rice, symbolizing a sweet and fulfilling life. These traditional snacks made from glutinous rice are the most down-to-earth and have always been a favorite among Sanya locals, both in the past and present.

Brown Sugar Rice Cake

Sanya's brown sugar rice cake is a representative of local traditional pastries. It is made from high-quality glutinous rice flour and ancient methods of refining brown sugar. It is sticky, sweet, and elastic, with each bite saturated with the sweetness of brown sugar and the richness of glutinous rice, symbolizing a life as sweet and fulfilling as the rice cake.

椰子bua

buaCoconut“Bua”

Coconut Bua is a traditional local snack with a long history and is widely made among the people, symbolizing celebration, auspiciousness, happiness, and sweetness. The white outer layer is made from glutinous rice, filled with stir-fried coconut shreds, black sesame seeds, peanuts, and more, then wrapped in coconut leaves, banana leaves, or jackfruit leaves and steamed. It is soft, sticky, and sweet when eaten.

米花糖

Rice Puff Candy

Sanya Rice Puff Candy is made from glutinous rice and japonica rice. The rice is stir-fried to create puffed rice flowers, then mixed with boiled brown sugar water and pressed into blocks. It is sweet and crispy, a taste that many Sanya residents remember from their childhood.

Leaf | Fragrant

Plant leaves can also be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes, can you believe it? From the popular pandan that has become a hit, to the lesser-known "chicken dung vine" that outsiders might not have heard of, this touch of natural green is a unique flavor that has accompanied the growth of Sanya locals.

斑斓

Pandan

The lush green Pandan not only serves as a natural colorant but also carries a rich aroma of glutinous rice, captivating the taste buds of many food lovers. Pandan layer cake, pandan fried pancakes, pandan coconut bua, pandan rolls, pandan fried dough sticks, pandan steamed buns, pandan egg tarts, pandan jelly, pandan shrimp noodles, pandan latte... In Sanya, there are countless ways to enjoy pandan, so come and discover more ways to savor the unique taste of pandan!

鸡屎藤粑仔

Chicken Dung Vine Bazi

This is a traditional sweet soup commonly found on the streets of Sanya. Despite its peculiar name, it has a surprisingly delightful taste. It is soft, smooth, and slightly chewy, with a refreshing plant aroma. Chicken Dung Vine is a climbing plant known for its heat-clearing and detoxifying properties. Chicken Dung Vine Bazi is made from the leaves of this plant. Although it's not a delicacy, it carries many childhood memories for Sanya locals. It must be said that it is a Hainanese sweet soup that is underrated due to its name.

Fruit | Salty

Hainanese people truly have a knack for adding salt to fruits. For instance, adding a bit of salt to sweet watermelon makes it even sweeter; adding salt to sour plums and green mangoes makes them less sour. The unique texture can indeed be addictive.

辣椒盐蘸水果

Fruit Dipped in Chili Salt

Dipping fruit in chili salt might sound like an odd combination, akin to a dark料理, but in Hainan, the delightful pairing of fruit and chili salt feels like discovering a new world. For example, sour plums, green mangoes, and sour pineapples become instantly delicious when dipped in chili salt. Chili salt can be mixed with almost anything; as long as you enjoy it, any fruit can be paired with chili salt, offering a taste that combines sour, spicy, sweet, and salty in one bite.

老盐水

Old Saltwater

"Old Saltwater" is not just saltwater; in Sanya, besides eating fruits directly, locals also enjoy making them into a specialty known as old saltwater. Common fruits like lemons, pineapples, oranges, passion fruits, mangoes, grapes, and dragon fruits, as well as seasonal fruits like guavas and longans, can all be used to make old saltwater. The unique combination of old salt and fresh tropical fruits creates a surprisingly delightful sweet and savory taste. Enjoying it with a sea breeze is incredibly satisfying, making it perfect for after a big meal to refresh and cleanse the palate. No wonder some say that a cup of old saltwater can hold the essence of all of Hainan! Once you've tasted this old saltwater, you might find yourself favoring it above all else.

The "Sanya Flavor" hidden in the streets and alleys records the essence of daily life in Sanya. Whether it's a seafood feast or street food from a stall, everything is imbued with the taste of the island.

Sanya is so beautiful and fragrant; how can one not visit? Come and experience the vibrant and aromatic life of Sanya, starting with the tropical flavors on your tongue...