Cuisine: Jiangsu Cuisine Flavor: Spiced Price: 10–40 RMB Features: Dark reddish-brown color, dry and firm texture, rich aroma. Ingredients: 5000g lean beef, 410g white sugar, 8g monosodium glutamate, 100g soy sauce, 100g salt, 8g fennel seeds (cumin seeds), 8g ginger, 3g licorice, 25g liquor...
Crystal Hawthorn Cake is a traditional specialty cake from Suqian. It won a gold medal at the 1927 Panama International Exposition. At the 1959 National Fruit Processing Evaluation Conference, “Crystal Hawthorn Cake” was rated the best in the country. Crystal Hawthorn Cake has a long history, originating in the Han Dynasty and flourishing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with over two thousand years of history…
In the early Qing Dynasty, Huang De, a renowned chef in Sucheng County (now Suqian), was famous for his pork head meat. It is said that when Emperor Qianlong toured the south of the Yangtze River and passed through Sucheng, local officials asked Huang De to prepare the dish. It received high praise from the emperor, and from then on, Huang De’s reputation soared. After Emperor Qianlong tasted it, Huang De would pour the leftover broth into the new batch of pork head meat soup. He continued this practice daily—saving a portion of the broth and mixing it into the new one, a tradition passed down through generations. Because Huang De’s childhood nickname was “Little Dog,” the dish came to be known as either “Qianlong’s Old Broth” or “Yellow Dog” Pork Head Meat. Features of the dish include fragrant and crispy fat, tender lean meat, a bright red color, and a rich taste without being greasy. This dish has been included in the Jiangsu Famous Dishes Collection. (Suqian)
Suqian County has a long history of growing daylilies. Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, schistosomiasis was prevalent in the area, and Hua Tuo came to treat the local people. Later, people noticed that the shape of the daylily resembled the golden needles used by Hua Tuo in his treatments, so they began calling it “daylily,” or “golden needle vegetable.” The most famous variety is “Dingzhuang Daylily” from Dingzui Township. It boasts thick stems, a dark tip, a glossy appearance, and thick, tender…
Daylily, also known as golden needle vegetable or hemerocallis, is commonly referred to as "golden vegetable" by locals. According to folklore, in ancient times, the Dingzui area of Suqian was low-lying and frequently plagued by floods. The famous physician Hua Tuo once used acupuncture to treat people here and taught them how to grow hemerocallis flowers, which could be used to prevent illness and strengthen health. The hemerocallis flower closely resembles the golden needles used by Hua Tuo. To express their gratitude and honor Hua Tuo, the locals began calling the cultivated hemerocallis flowers “golden needles.” Even today, people in Suqian still refer to it as the golden needle flower, or simply golden vegetable. The Dingzui Town of Suqian is one of China’s four major daylily-producing regions. It enjoys a warm temperate monsoon climate with mild weather year-round, distinct seasons, ample sunlight, and abundant rainfall. The area was once known as Cangji Lake, formed from Yellow River alluvial soil, rich in aquatic life and organic matter. After drying up, the soil became deep, fertile, and primarily sandy loam—ideal for growing golden vegetables. This unique natural environment has contributed to the exceptional quality of Dingzui golden vegetables. The daylilies produced in the Dingzui region have large blossoms, thick petals, and excellent appearance, color, taste, and shape. Originally offered as tribute along the ancient Grand Canal, Dingzui golden vegetables gained nationwide fame. During the Qing Dynasty, daylilies were developed as an export commodity and became popular overseas, especially in Southeast Asian countries, where Dingzui golden vegetables were highly regarded as a premium variety of daylily. In recent years, Dingzui Town has expanded daylily cultivation, broken away from traditional planting, processing, and sales models, extended the Dingzui golden vegetable industry chain, and restored its reputation as the “hometown of golden vegetables.”
Suqian’s Ye Family Pastry is a specialty of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. Known also as "Qianlong Tribute Crisp," it boasts four outstanding qualities: aromatic, crispy, flaky, and tender. Local government officials used to send the pastry as a tribute to the emperor in the capital every year, hence the name “Qianlong Tribute Crisp.” Today, the Ye family’s pastry-making craft has been passed down to the ninth generation…
is a home-style dish from Jinhu. Whether at a small family gathering or a reunion with friends and relatives, there is always a plate of golden, oily, crispy, and delicious fried lotus root sandwiches on the table. While people in other regions may also prepare this dish, it is nowhere near as common as in Jinhu, nor is the preparation as refined. The lotus roots are peeled, washed, and sliced into paper-thin pieces. Cutting them requires...
Silver fish are commonly known as flour paste fish or noodle fish; however, their other name “sliced leftover fish” is little known. This name comes from their slender shape resembling sliced meat. For the best taste, silver fish should be eaten fresh. Just-caught silver fish are rinsed clean, blanched in boiling water, then a few eggs are added, along with a few pinches of stir-fried scallions in oil, and a few drops of cooking wine. The dish presents a harmonious blend of green, white, and yellow. It is fresh without being fishy, smooth without being greasy — truly delicate and delicious, comparable to perch. When the fishing season arrives, fresh silver fish can be found all over the Jinhu fish market. This once-exclusive delicacy for the imperial family has now become accessible to ordinary households. Among the silver fish varieties, those from Saxia Lake in Jinhu are considered the finest — smaller and more translucent than those from the Yangtze River, yet plumper and richer than those from Taihu Lake. Their texture is even more refreshing, making them safe for young children to eat.
Ding's Soup Dumplings is a traditional local snack in Suqian with distinctive regional characteristics. It originated during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of nearly a hundred years. The founder of Ding's Soup Dumplings, Ding Jinzhi, apprenticed in a restaurant in Zhabei, Shanghai around 1890, working in the noodle and dough-based food industry. He later returned to his hometown to focus solely on making soup dumplings, and the recipe has been passed down to —. Ding's Soup Dumplings...
Long Sao instant rice vermicelli is made from high-quality rice sourced from the Jianghuai region, supplemented with deodorized soybean powder, konjac powder, and other highly nutritious ingredients. It is produced without any harmful additives or pollution, and no preservatives are used in the processing—making it a genuine green food product. Long Sao rice vermicelli now comes in three major series and ten varieties, which are popular in many cities across the country. Especially the halal...
The Mexican 'Milpa Alta' edible cactus is native to the tropical and subtropical semi-desert regions of central Mexico. It is a perennial evergreen succulent herbaceous plant. Through continuous selective breeding, improvement, and domestication, its stems have become thick, large, and spineless, offering multiple health benefits such as wellness support, therapeutic properties, and edibility. It is one of the rare and precious varieties in the world today.
Jinhu County in Jiangsu Province has long been known as the "Land of Fish and Rice" and the "Home of Lotus Roots." The county cultivates nearly 120,000 acres of lotus roots, making it a production base for green food. Jinhu lotus roots are one of the three local aquatic delicacies known as the “Three Fresh Vegetables,” with the fruit referred to as the lotus seed, the root as the lotus root, and the flower as the lotus. Jinhu lotus roots are characterized by their short nodes, thick bodies, and yellowish-brown outer skin…
The Big Red Water Chestnuts from Jinhu are bright red in color and shaped like lotus flowers emerging from water, hence they are also called Lotus Water Chestnuts. They are crisp and tender when eaten raw and sweet when cooked. Known for their early maturity and early market availability, they are highly popular among both urban and rural residents. Using Jinhu Big Red Water Chestnuts as the main ingredient, further processing can produce preserved chestnut rice, canned sweetened chestnut rice, and chestnut juice beverages.
Tuogou Softshell Turtle I’ve never really dared to eat softshell turtles or regular turtles, and I can’t quite say why (maybe it’s because their heads resemble snake heads, and I’m most afraid of snakes). Whenever a whole turtle is served, I just can’t bring myself to pick up my chopsticks. Watching others dig in with gusto, I can only envy them—but I just can’t overcome my own mental block…
Empress Yao’s Postnatal Soup “Why do poets sing of the Three Rivers? For ancient legends abound in these waters so deep. A local man Chen Feng raised a fair maiden, who became the bride of Emperor Ku, also called Di Ku. One day, the fair Qingdu bathed in the Three Rivers, where a passing dragon stirred love’s tide. After their passionate union, the dragon bestowed its seed, and from this came Emperor Yao, bringing joy far and wide.” This “Bamboo Branch Ci” poem tells the love story of the fair maiden Qingdu. It is said that back then, Yao’s father and mother…
The True Taste of Freshwater Delicacies The timeless Huai River flows endlessly. As it winds through the land between Hongze Lake and Gaoyou Lake, it meanders into the water town of Jinhu. Jinhu is a beautiful water town—spanning 1,400 square kilometers, it boasts 420 square kilometers of water surface and 44 square kilometers of tidal flats. Within its borders, it is uniquely embraced by three lakes: Baima Lake, Baoying Lake, and...
Huyang Stew is a famous dish from our water town, Jinhu. Just from the name, you can tell it’s related to aquatic products. Tracing back to its origins, this iconic dish also has an inseparable connection with the legendary revolutionary leader, Marshal Chen Yi.
Geographical Scope Jinhu is located on the northern edge of the subtropics, influenced by the monsoon climate of the subtropical humid region. It features distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, warm and moist conditions, plentiful rainfall, and a long frost-free period. Surrounded by lakes on three sides and crisscrossed by rivers, the land is flat and fertile, with clean water and fresh air. The abundant water and soil resources, along with the superior ecological environment...
Braised Lobster; Ingredients: 400g lobster (about 15–20 lobsters, currently about 5–7 RMB per jin), dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, sugar, cooking wine, peanut oil, salt, chicken essence. Preparation of ingredients: slice garlic thinly, slice ginger thinly, cut scallions into long shreds. Lobster preparation: Requires two people to purchase the lobsters. The first person holds the lobster by the back with one hand and the tail with the other; the second person uses a clean shoe brush to scrub the belly of the lobster where there is a lot of dirt. After scrubbing each one clean, place the lobster in a basin of water to rinse. Hold the lobster by the back with the left hand and gently twist off the two tail fins near the back with the right hand, then pull out the intestine attached to the fins. After cleaning and removing the intestines from each lobster, place them in clean water. Add 5 drops of peanut oil to the water surface and let sit for 5 minutes. Hold the lobster by the back, lift the shell, and if there is roe, leave the shell on; otherwise, remove the lobster’s head.
Exploded Squid Flowers; Ingredients: 500g fresh squid, 25g soaked shredded magnolia bamboo shoots, wood ear fungus, green peas, 5g each of minced scallions, ginger, and garlic, 15g coriander, 3g minced garlic, 5g Shaoxing wine, 1g each of sugar, MSG, and pepper, 5g water starch, 60g peanut oil. (Flavor & Appearance: Exquisite knife work, crispy...)