‘Saliva oil’: Hotpot restaurant repurposes leftovers into new dishes to ‘improve flavour’

A Sichuan hotpot restaurant recycled leftover chilli oil from diners’ soups to create new hotpot bases.

A hotpot restaurant in Sichuan, China, has faced action from local authorities after being found guilty of reusing leftover chilli oil from diners to prepare soup bases for other customers. The Nanchong Market Regulation Administration disclosed on December 2 that the establishment had been recycling “saliva oil” and incorporating it into fresh hotpot bases, reported the South China Morning Post.

The restaurant’s owner confessed to the wrongdoing.(Pexel )

The investigation was launched following a tip-off from a concerned customer. Authorities discovered 11.54 kilograms of recycled beef tallow—an essential ingredient in Sichuan and Chongqing-style spicy hotpot—hidden in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Further scrutiny revealed four pots of prepared soup bases containing beef tallow that appeared different from legitimate packaged products sourced from certified suppliers.

Owner admits to using leftover oil

The restaurant’s owner, identified only by the surname Chen, confessed to the wrongdoing. Chen admitted to extracting chilli oil from leftover soup bases discarded by customers since September. The recycled oil was then mixed with fresh oil, which Chen claimed was done to “improve the soup’s flavour” and address the restaurant’s struggling business performance.

The practice, often referred to as creating “saliva oil,” is strictly prohibited due to serious hygiene and safety concerns. Local authorities have condemned such acts, citing the potential risks to public health. The Nanchong Market Regulation Administration stated that they would take strict measures to prevent similar incidents and ensure food safety in the region.

In a similar incident at Wulidianzi School in Huanren County, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, reports revealed that food discarded by older students was reused and served to younger pupils from a bucket originally used for dog food.

Reportedly, workers were seen discarding leftover food from older students into a bucket meant for dog food, planning to take it home for their pets. However, when younger students came to the canteen shortly after, the workers emptied the discarded food from the bucket and served it to the children .