For many hotpot lovers, the iconic Chinese dish stirs up thoughts of a deep numbing spiciness. But for many in Southwest China's Guizhou province, hotpot is all about mouth-twisting sourness.

Sour soup hotpot has been gently gathering steam over the past few years, with knowledge and experience of the tangy broth spreading out from Guizhou helped in part by social media.

Look up the hashtag "Guizhou sour soup" on short-video platform Douyin, China's TikTok, and you'll find posts with over 300 million views. People share footage of Guizhou sour soup hotpot enjoyed around the country, and post homemade recipes after visiting Guizhou because they still crave the taste.

As of Dec 1, sour soup hotpot bases from Guizhou topped e-commerce platform Tmall's lists for both positive reviews and repurchase rates. This beloved flavor originates in Kaili, in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, one of the dish's most famous birthplaces. There, restaurants and street stalls serving sour soup are ubiquitous, and the air often carries the sour scent of fermentation.