Northern China (Sichuan and Huaiyang traditions both claim it). The soup appears in various regional Chinese cookbooks from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In Sichuan, the heat comes from chilli as well as pepper; in northern Chinese versions (the internationally known standard), white pepper is the only heat source.
Hot and sour soup (suan la tang) is the perfect balance of sour, hot, salty, and savoury — vinegar-acidulated pork broth with silken tofu, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, lily buds, and egg. The heat comes from white pepper, not chilli, and the sourness from Chinkiang (black) vinegar. The soup should be tightly thickened with cornstarch — it should coat a spoon without being gluey.
- Thai tom yam (hot and sour soup — the same fundamental flavour construction with different aromatics); Cambodian samlor (sour pork soup — similar balance in Khmer cuisine); Filipino sinigang (sour soup — the Filipino tradition of soured broths).
Hot and sour soup is typically a starter in a Chinese meal — the beverage follows the main course pairing. As a standalone: jasmine tea, or warm Shaoxing wine.