【Cuisine】 Jiangsu Cuisine 【Features】 Yellowish-white in color, tender, crisp and delicious. 【Ingredients】 500g pork tenderloin, 120g egg white, 50g cooked lard, 50g cooking wine, 3g salt, 5g MSG, 30g wet starch, 10g Worcestershire sauce, minced scallions and ginger...
【Features】 Silvery white in color, aromatic and clear broth. 【Ingredients】 Main ingredient: 1 live hen (about 1.8 kg). Seasonings: 150g Shaoxing wine, 15g scallions, 15g ginger, 5g MSG, salt to taste. 【Preparation】 (1) …
Glutinous Rice Wine Pastry sees higher sales in late spring to early summer. It is usually made fresh and sold on the spot, and is not suitable for overnight storage. Ingredient formulation Dough: 21 kg premium wheat flour, 5.25 kg soft brown sugar, 2.625 kg sweet glutinous rice wine, 9 kg water. Filling: 8.5 kg soft brown sugar, 4.25 kg cooked wheat flour, 3 kg sesame oil…
Braised Turtle in White Sauce is a nutritious and renowned dish of the Suzhou cuisine, made with soft-shell turtle. This dish uses live turtles weighing around 750 grams. After slaughtering, the internal organs are removed (any eggs found are set aside), the claws, snout, and tail are cut off, and the leg joints are severed. The turtles are then soaked in 60°C hot water to remove the black membrane, followed by soaking in 90°C hot water to remove the back shell…
Green rice dumplings are made from glutinous rice flour mixed with vegetable juice and stuffed with white sugar, red bean paste, and lard. Their color and taste both evoke the essence of spring. Suzhou has had all kinds of seasonal cakes and dumplings throughout the year, and that tradition continues to this day. In January, there are yuanxiao; on the second day of February, there’s “waist-supporting cake”; in March, green rice dumplings; on the fourteenth day of April, “immortal cake”; in May, fried meat-stuffed dumplings…
Osmanthus Sugar Fried Taro…
Suzhou’s bamboo industry produced high-quality bamboo baskets, bamboo beds, cradles, sieves, and other items that were well-regarded and sold far and wide. Among these, the “Tongqiao Shoulder Poles” made on Shantang Street enjoyed even greater fame in the world of bamboo products. A shoulder pole is a flat, elongated tool used for carrying loads, traditionally made of bamboo or wood. In the old days, poor families, especially in rural areas…
In Chapter 67 of *Dream of the Red Chamber*, there is a vivid description of Suzhou clay figurines. Xue Pan returned from Suzhou and brought two large boxes of clothes to give to his female relatives, which included “a series of clay figurine plays housed in boxes covered with blue gauze; there was also a tiny clay figurine of Xue Pan himself, molded on Huqiu Mountain, which looked exactly like him. Baochai didn’t pay much attention to the other items, but she picked up the little figure of Xue Pan, studied it closely, then looked at her brother, and couldn’t help laughing.” The *Suzhou Prefecture Records* also mention that “the people of Huqiu could mold clay into strikingly lifelike human likenesses.” This shows the artistic level of Huqiu clay figurines at the time.
Suzhou-style candies and preserved fruits are made with carefully selected ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship, featuring unique recipes and techniques. The candies primarily use ingredients such as pine nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, and melon seeds, which define the distinctive character of Suzhou-style confections.…
Jade carving is also a traditional craft of Suzhou. In ancient times, the imperial court hired Suzhou jade artisans to craft various jade items for the royal family. “Although fine jade may be gathered in the capital, the finest craftsmanship is found in Wu Commandery.” Today, Suzhou jade carving is carrying on this fine tradition and regaining its former vibrancy. In addition to the aforementioned crafts, others such as ethnic musical instruments, gold and silver filigree work, rosewood...
Produced in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It is made from natural white bamboo, with the best quality coming from “Lajiao” bamboo (harvested in winter), which is grown for over three years in Yuhang County, Zhejiang Province. It must be naturally air-dried and stored for more than a year to produce a clear tone and resist cracking. Only pieces with firm fibers, uniform roundness, and consistent wall thickness are selected, cut from…
Made from pure rosewood, it features a frame-and-mortise structure crafted with meticulous carving. It emphasizes precise proportions and seamless joints, giving the appearance of being carved from a single piece of wood. After the rough shape is formed, it undergoes outlining, floral engraving, sanding, and polishing, then is meticulously coated with domestically produced lacquer. Some pieces are further embellished with gold and silver thread inlays or marble inlays, adding even more elegance…
Also known as pine sugar. Produced in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. These candies are granular in shape, uniformly sized, not sticking to each other, with each piece adorned with sugar spikes, pure white and glossy in appearance; they have a fragrant, sweet taste that is rich yet not greasy. Made with pine nuts coated in multiple layers of extremely thin sugar glaze. The pine nuts used are carefully selected for their premium size, plumpness, and tenderness, combined with auxiliary ingredients such as white sugar and maltose. First…
Suzhou Gu Xiang Brocade can be divided into two types based on patterns: "Landscape Gu Xiang" and "Floral Gu Xiang." The "Landscape Gu Xiang" patterns draw inspiration from distinctive ethnic landscapes such as mountains, rivers, pavilions, towers, small bridges, and flowing streams. The "Floral Gu Xiang" patterns mostly feature popular traditional folk floral designs. Suzhou Gu Xiang Brocade is woven using...
Produced in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Made from fresh cylindrical soybeans, the production process includes preparation, impurity removal, soaking, grinding, spinning, boiling, coagulation, pressing, shaping, deep-frying, stewing, cooling, and packaging to create the final product. During processing, the soaking time of soybeans is strictly controlled based on product characteristics and temperature changes. In winter, the soybeans are soaked until about ninety percent of the cotyledon is...
In the mid-Qing Dynasty, there were many painting shops around Tiger Hill. Inspired by the local Chinese custom of dyeing eggs red as auspicious gifts for weddings, celebrations, and childbirth, they began painting traditional Chinese ink artworks on empty eggshells and selling them as decorative items. Over time, colored eggs became an art craft. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China…
Hushu straw mats are a specialty of Hushuguan Town, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Known for their lush green color, soft and smooth texture, tight weave, comfort, coolness, and durability, they are highly popular among the public and sell well across the country. During the Tongzhi era, the Hefengyu Pottery Shop in Baoying, Yangzhou, was already selling “Guan mats.” Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong…
Zhenhu Embroidery refers to embroidered products produced in Zhenhu Subdistrict, Suzhou High-Tech District, Jiangsu Province. Zhenhu is the birthplace of “Su embroidery.” Compared to Xiang embroidery, Shu embroidery, and Yue embroidery, Zhenhu Embroidery, as a representative of Su embroidery, is known for being “exquisite, delicate, elegant, and refined,” distinguished by its fine craftsmanship, versatile stitching techniques, and…
Pine Nut and Date Paste Sesame Cake is a famous traditional pastry in Suzhou-style dim sum. Its outer crust is made from ingredients such as white sugar, maltose, eggs, cooking oil, and wheat flour, while the filling combines nuts, fruit pulp, and fragrant floral ingredients. The crust wraps around a filling of date paste and pine nuts, then is meticulously baked to perfection. Pine Nut and Date Paste Sesame Cake comes in varieties such as Date Paste, Peach Paste...
Taicang is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, bordering the Yangtze River to the northeast and adjacent to Shanghai. The area features loose, fertile soil, a warm climate, and abundant rainfall—ideal conditions for growing white garlic. The cultivation of white garlic in Taicang began during the Qing Dynasty. Over time, local farmers have accumulated extensive experience in cultivation, continuously improving both the yield and quality of the garlic. Varieties: Since 197…