Nanhu Boat Cuisine

Nanhu Boat Cuisine

　　Nanhu Boat Cuisine

　　Popular during the Republican era, Nanhu Boat Cuisine is a specialty of pleasure boats on Jiaxing’s South Lake. The most authentic presentation includes eight large and eight small dishes, though variations such as eight small and six large, six large and six small, or four large and four small dishes also exist. The cuisine emphasizes seasonal local ingredients such as crab roe, crab paste, and river shrimp, with meticulous cooking techniques—especially notable in its cold dishes. The modern writer Xu Ke once wrote: “Boat cuisine is a unique delicacy of Jiaxing’s painted pleasure boats,” and “On fine spring and autumn days, when banquets are spread and the sounds of silk and bamboo fill the air, one can fully enjoy the true charm of the landscape.” The boats—and with them the cuisine—disappeared during the War of Resistance. See the “Scenic Spots, Historic Sites, and Tourism” section of this publication.