Just one bite of Lingshui Sour Rice Noodles is enough to induce a strong wave of nostalgia in anyone lucky enough to come from Lingshui, which lies on the southeastern coast of Hainan. Pretty much everyone here grew up eating the area’s most memorable dish, which plays a large role in local life and is generally the highlight of any menu at any Lingshui restaurant.

Lingshui Sour Rice Noodles are a bit different from most other Hainan noodle dishes, of which there are quite a few. There’s a lot to enjoy in just one bowl of this Lingshui specialty, which features over ten different toppings including dried squid, small dried fish, peanuts, fishcakes, beef jerky, and garlic chives! The sweet and sour sauce has seven or eight ingredients in its own right, so it’s best to bring a large appetite to the table in Lingshui.

As one of the top four types of rice noodle dishes in Hainan, the art of making Lingshui Sour Rice Noodles was honored on the third list of Hainan Province Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was released in 2011.