Sanya Seafood
Pick It Live, Then Have It Cooked

Picture this: early evening in Sanya, the air still warm from a day of sun, and you walk into First Market where the smell of the sea mixes with crushed ice. Tubs run down both sides, full of prawns flicking their tails, big-clawed Hele crabs, scallops gaping open, grouper circling. You point at the ones you want, the vendor bags them and weighs them in front of you, and you carry that bag across to a cook shop opposite. Fifteen minutes later, the very seafood you just chose lands in front of you as a plate of garlic-steamed shrimp, still steaming — this is how Sanya eats the sea, and it's far more fun than ordering off a menu.

Hainan food is not numbing, peppercorn-heavy Sichuan cooking. It's tropical-island food built on freshness, lightness and natural flavour. The waters around the island give up seafood all year, and the cooking method Hainanese cooks love most is the one that keeps the sweetness of the meat intact rather than burying it under sauce. That whole "pick it yourself, then have it cooked" (加工) system is what sets Sanya apart — you control the freshness, the price and the way it's cooked. There are a few traps to know before you walk in, though, so we'll take it step by step. For the full picture of Hainan's must-eat dishes, read our Sanya food guide alongside this.

Let's say it plainly first — First Market has a years-long reputation for overcharging and short-weighing tourists. This isn't a rumour; stories of people billed hundreds of yuan over the odds surface from time to time. But that doesn't mean you should avoid it. Authorities have tightened oversight, installed public scales for re-checking, and there are genuinely good processing shops that have been around for decades. The trick is to walk in knowing the drill, rather than walking in as easy prey.

The most common trap is the tout (拉客) — someone who approaches you, all friendly, and offers to lead you to a stall or shop they recommend. It sounds helpful, but these people take a cut from both the seafood seller and the cook shop, and that cut comes straight back to you in the bill. Don't follow touts, and don't trust a stall recommended by a taxi driver or a stranger. Choose with your own eyes instead: walk around, compare prices, read the boards, and decide for yourself.