“Ham-Crispy Kidney” is a traditional famous dish from Yangzhou. Jinhua ham is a renowned specialty of China and considered a premium among all cured and preserved meats. It boasts a rich aroma, distinctive flavor, and delicious taste, making it famous both in China and abroad since ancient times. During the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, it was a treasured delicacy at imperial banquets. In the Qing dynasty’s famous “Manchu-Han Imperial Feast”…
Almost every long-time resident of Yangzhou knows "Gonghechun," a uniquely flavored noodle shop that has been serving shrimp roe dumpling noodles since its founding in 1933. It was officially named "Gonghechun Restaurant" in the 1980s and is considered one of Yangzhou’s time-honored brands. The founder of Gonghechun was Wang Xuecheng, originally a…
Dàzhǔ Gānsī is a refreshing and nutritious dish. "Gānsī" refers to shredded dried tofu, and "dàzhǔ" means stewing in plenty of water. Though this dish may seem simple, it is actually quite intricate and is considered a signature dish of the Huaiyang cuisine. It boasts a rich aroma, with the umami of ham and dried shrimp deeply infusing the extremely fine strands of tofu. …
“The rivers of Li-Xia-Hé meander long and wide, / Ponds and ditches brim with sturdy lotus roots so fine. / The roots are tasty, nutritious too, / Lotus root starch balls grace the banquet too.” The Li-Xia-Hé region, a tributary area of the Yangtze River in northern Jiangsu—including cities like Yangzhou and Yancheng—has been renowned since ancient times for producing high-quality lotus roots. The locally made lotus root starch balls are especially celebrated both at home and abroad for their delicious taste and nutritional value. The lotus root starch itself is usually a dark reddish color, …
Nanjing scented pork belly is one of the famous local specialties of Nanjing, originating during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. Shaped like an apple, it is small and delicate, and locals often refer to it as "little belly." The meat is tightly packed with red and white marbling, offering a tender, fragrant, and slightly sweet taste. It is not only a renowned dish served at banquets but also a delightful accompaniment in daily meals. It is said that Nanjing scented pork belly has a history of…
The Eight Delicacies of Qinhuai refer to eight signature snacks in Nanjing (Jinling) that best represent the flavors of the Qinhuai area. These eight snacks, made by seven dessert shops in the Confucius Temple area, are renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship, beautiful presentation, premium ingredients, and unique flavors. After expert evaluation, the Qinhuai District Snack Research Association officially named these eight...
The vivid descriptions of eel catching in the *Book of Songs* indicate that people have enjoyed eating eels for over two thousand years. In ancient times, eels were also called "zhan eels" ("yellow-bodied eels with black stripes, shaped like snakes, hence also called snake zhan"). During the Han Dynasty, zhan eels were considered noble, "...snake zhan, the attire symbol of ministers and high-ranking officials." Lecture halls were referred to as "zhan halls," hence Zhu Xi later wrote the line... The *Book of Documents* described the taste of eels as "a delicacy among foods."
Yellowjue Old Goose is a specialty dish from Yellowjue Town (now merged into Fangxiang Town) in Hanjiang District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is made using locally free-range white geese, simmered with traditional Chinese herbs and secret seasonings in water. The finished product retains the shape of a live goose, tender yet firm, with a golden hue, succulent and richly flavored meat that is both salty and delicious — a taste that never tires. The making of Yellowjue Old Goose…
Yangshou Tofu Balls are a specialty dish from Yangshou Town, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Known as "tofu balls" in the local Yangzhou dialect, they are a dish similar to red-braised lion’s head meatballs. Historically, nearly every household in Yangshou Town made tofu, producing salt-brine tofu, gypsum tofu, tofu balls, tofu skin rolls, stinky tofu balls, bean curd sheets, and tofu sticks...
Yang's Kiwifruit is a specialty of Huaisi Town, Hanjiang District, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. With standardized shape, premium quality, and delicious taste, Yang's Kiwifruit is not only highly recognized by the residents of Yangzhou but also mostly sold to major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. It is especially popular among children, pregnant women, and the elderly...
Shrimp Roe Dumpling Noodles — as the name suggests, this dish consists of dumplings and noodles, but the so-called “dumplings” are actually wontons. The wonton wrappers are as thin as paper, filled with delicious, juicy meat, while the noodles are chewy and smooth. The broth is made from shrimp roe and sprinkled with minced garlic, giving off an irresistible aroma. Tasting tip: Don’t be fooled by the unassuming brownish sauce in the bowl…
Three-Dice Steamed Buns The so-called “three dice” refer to diced chicken, diced pork, and diced bamboo shoots. These three ingredients make up the filling, offering a delicious combination of freshness, aroma, crispness, and tenderness, rich yet not greasy. The “Five-Dice Steamed Buns,” which add diced ginseng and diced shrimp to the mix, are even more nutritious and nourishing. Tasting tip: the three main ingredients—chicken, pork, and bamboo shoots—are used in a ratio of 1:2:1…
Zongzi Zongzi is a highly seasonal snack, and it’s not until around the Dragon Boat Festival that they become widely available. Yangzhou-style zongzi have their own distinctive characteristics, mainly due to the precise cooking technique. The “Suiyuan Shidan” (The Menu of Suiyuan) entry on “Yangzhou Hong Mansion Zongzi” states: “At the Hong mansion, zongzi are made using the finest glutinous rice, selecting only the long, white, unbroken grains while discarding any broken or imperfect ones…”
The "Five-Treasure Bun" of Yangzhou is an innovation based on the traditional "Three-Treasure Bun." It is made with sea cucumber cubes, chicken cubes, pork cubes, bamboo shoot cubes, and shrimp cubes. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong once visited Yangzhou, he mentioned that the preparation of imperial breakfast should follow these five principles: "nourishing but not overly supplementing, delicious but not overly rich,..."
The renowned Yangzhou Eight Carving Arts refer collectively to wood carving, bamboo carving, stone carving, brick carving, porcelain carving, ivory carving, as well as paper cutting and lacquer carving from Yangzhou. Among these, ivory carving and bamboo carving are especially famous. Both can be done in either deep or shallow relief. Yangzhou artisans excel in micro-carving and shallow carving. The hallmark of shallow carving lies in its fine craftsmanship—despite being executed on ivory or bamboo, the brush strokes resemble those on paper or silk, with every stroke and line...
Steamed rice cake is a traditional food of Nanjing. The vendor carries a pole with one end holding rice flour and the other a small stove, making and steaming the cakes on the spot—hot and fresh. In the past, aside from breast milk, most children grew up eating steamed rice cakes, and they all turned out fair-skinned, plump, and sturdy. With its high nutritional value, steamed rice cake became popular among the common people...
Jianye District Delicacies: Laba porridge, Xu’s Red Braised Pork, Sister Zhou’s Lotus Leaf-Wrapped Chicken, Uncle Lu’s Clay Pot Fish Soup, River Fresh, Pumpkin Grape Soup, Two-Tone Shrimp, Honeycomb Fish Aroma Dumplings, Arctic Cell Pulp, Tube Bone Stewed River Catfish…
Mock shark’s fin is renowned for being “like shark’s fin, but better.” The main ingredients include shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, and cellophane noodles, seasoned with sesame oil, refined salt, and sugar. The cellophane noodles are soaked, shaped, coated in starch, steamed, sliced, and then stewed — all crafted through meticulous preparation. …
Braised Fish Head in Clay Pot from Jinniu Lake The bighead carp from Jinniu Lake is a provincially certified pollution-free product, raised in the unpolluted waters of Jinniu Lake. It has an exceptionally delicious taste. The fish head, after being carefully simmered, boasts a milky-white color, bursts with aroma upon tasting, and is incredibly savory and nourishing. In recent years, it has been gaining ground on the famous braised fish head in clay pot from Tianmu Lake. …
Legend has it that Empress Dowager Cixi was very fond of dumplings, but she refused to eat them once they cooled. As a result, the imperial kitchen had to keep making fresh batches of hot dumplings while discarding the cold ones. One day, while admiring flowers in the imperial garden, the Empress caught the scent of something delicious wafting from outside the palace walls. Curious, she stepped out and saw people frying golden, dumpling-like food. After trying some, she found the crispy crust and juicy filling incredibly tasty. She later learned that these were dumplings discarded by the imperial kitchen because they had stuck together after cooling and were no longer suitable for boiling. So, they were pan-fried instead. There’s another version of the story as well — a Cantonese chef, during a trip to northern China, tried pan-fried dumplings and loved them. He brought the idea back home, refined the recipe, and eventually created what we now know as guotie.