Sweet Potato Milk

Sweet Potato Milk

　　Sweet Potato Milk

　　Sweet Potato Milk—Haikou’s silky, delicious, and enticingly fragrant treat. Though its name includes the word “milk,” sweet potato milk contains not a drop of dairy. The name comes from its appearance: once cooked, the rice dough becomes smooth and inviting, while the broth turns thick and white like milk.

　　There are two types of sweet potato milk:

　　One is sweet, and the other is savory. This snack is simple to make. First, soak rice in water, then grind it into a slurry. Next, peel the sweet potatoes, mash them into a paste, and mix the two ingredients together thoroughly before setting them aside. Once the water in the pot boils, use your left hand to grab a lump of the mixture, make a fist, and gently squeeze it, scraping the ball-shaped paste into the boiling water. After cooking, seasonings can be added. For those who prefer sweet flavors, brown sugar and ginger slices are added—making it not only tasty but also visually appealing. For the savory version, the process is more elaborate: first, scoop out a bowl of sweet potato milk, sprinkle it with some roasted and ground sesame seeds, add a few drops of premium sesame oil, a generous spoonful of Hainan’s specialty fresh shrimp paste, and then pour in some chili oil—the result is a richly aromatic savory sweet potato milk.

　　In the past, street vendors selling sweet potato milk were mostly concentrated around Ximiao on Deshengsha Road, Dongmen, Ximen, Nanmen, and Shuixiangkou on Bo’ai South Road in Haikou. Since this snack is made to order and sold fresh, vendors usually prepared and processed the ingredients in the morning, and began selling at noon. The vendors would first choose a busy spot, set up a small wooden board, arrange several stacks of coarse ceramic bowls, and place a few small stools on the ground. Then they’d bring out two large earthen jars, one containing savory sweet potato milk and the other sweet, placing them over charcoal stoves to keep warm over low heat. That was it—business ready. Today, sweet potato milk in Haikou has moved beyond street stalls and can now be found in “Dad’s” tea shops. In addition to the locations mentioned above, you can enjoy this snack in many regular teahouses, such as those on Wenming East Road, Erdong Road on Haidian Island, and Shangpo Village on Heping South Road. Locals know just where to find it, and even newcomers or travelers can easily track it down—just ask any local in Haikou.

　　Sweet Potato Milk—observant visitors may notice that, like other traditional snacks in Haikou, sweet potato milk is often concentrated in the old city area. This might be tied to a sense of nostalgia, as enjoying a traditional dish often brings back a feeling of childhood familiarity and warmth, much like a baby cradled in its mother’s arms or an elder yearning for their hometown. It’s an indescribable sensation, felt rather than explained.