Traditional Nanjing cuisine is known as Jin Su cuisine and is notable for the emphasis placed on original flavor and carefully selected raw ingredients. Nanjing dishes are traditionally bright in color and use only a moderate amount of seasoning but a significant amount of oil.
Jin Su specialties that should be sampled include: Jinling roast duck, steamed duck cutlets, salted duck, Longchi carp and "Eight delicacies soup". The "Eight delicacies" are: fish, water chestnut, lotus root, vine, parsley, arrowroot and lotus seeds. This is a popular dish especially around "Moon Festival" time (roughly around the middle of August). There are numerous classical restaurants serving up these delicacies and the area around the Confucius Temple has some great places to taste good Nanjing food.
Western and Japanese food is also becoming increasingly popular and there is a good selection of Western and Chinese food available around the universities off Shanghai Lu. Browse our Restaurant Index for more detailed information. Of course, the big hotels such as The Hilton and The Jinling also have good restaurants. McDonalds and KFC are hugely popular here.
|
|
| |
Duck Blood Soup - The name of this dish may sound odd to foreigners who might wonder how the blood and soup is combined. Actually Chinese people do eat the blood of duck, goose and chicken but in a unique way. They collect the blood of a freshly killed duck or goose and stir, then seal and refrigerate until ready to use. The result is blood cakes. The soup is seasoned with salt, pepper, and subtly spicy undertones. Simmer gently for several minutes and serve with eggs, noodles and caraway. This food is the top of all travelers' recommendations. The cheap stalls at Fuzimiao dining street sell the best at 3.5 yuan. |
| |
Steamed Duck - As early as 1910, the Nanjing steamed Duck cutlet was awarded a national award by the Qing government and is now popular in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. This dish is characterized by its appetizing appearance and tender and delicate taste. The cooking process involves steeping, boiling, braising and baking the duck. The best places to taste this are the snack bars around the Confucius Temple area of the city.
|
| |
Salted Soup Duck - Autumn in Nanjing is a season of scented osmanthus blossom and the best time to make the delicious Salted Soup Duck because ducks at this time are fat. The chef chooses well-bred ducks and smears salt and spice on them to add flavors. The spice ingredients are a secret. Then the spiced ducks are marinated in a sauce for two hours. Just before eating, the ducks are steamed. It should taste fragrant, crisp and tender. The best restaurant to taste it is Jinling Restaurant near Xinjiekou. |
| |
Gan Si (Shredded Bean-curd Sheets) - A refreshing cold dish made of Bean-curd sheets. The bean-curd sheets are cut finely into threads with seasoning of sauce, sesame oil and vegetables shreds of bamboo root, mushroom, chicken or meat. It has fine shreds and a tender taste. It can also be boiled in broth and served with other meat shreds. |
| |
Dou Fu Nao (Tofu pudding) - This is a great breakfast-time soup dish made from tofu (bean curd), mushrooms, coriander and chilli. The best place to taste it is Liu Feng Ju. |
| |
Jinling Snacks - Jinling is the former name given to Nanjing and today it is not only the name of the tasty beer brewed in the city but also the name associated with the local traditional snacks which are named after the area. These snacks originate in the Confucius Temple area of the city. |
| |
This district has long been the center of Nanjing cuisine and today there are many great restaurants and snack bars around here where you can sample traditional Jinling snacks. Local specialties include: deep fried dough cake with scallion and salted duck gizzard.
|
|
beijing-travels.com offers online information on the Nanjing food and More Travel Guide of Nanjing. Keep browsing our site for more information on China.
|
|
|
