Salted Duck

Salted Duck is a specialty of Nanjing as well as a geographical indication product of China. Nanjing is also called as Jinling, therefore, Salted Duck is also called Jinling Salted Duck. With a long and well-established reputation, Salted Duck has a history of over 2,500 years.

Nanjing Salted duck has been made for a long time, and the years of experience have contributed to the way it’s made today. The skin of the duck is white and the meat tender; you can taste the fat yet it’s not greasy; it smells good and tastes fresh. Salted Duck is appetizing, crispy and tender.

Salted Duck made around the Mid-Autumn Festival, when osmanthus (guihua) flowers blossom, is of the best color and taste. For this reason, the dish is also known as Guihua Duck. Salted Duck is made simply to maintain its natural flavor. The greasy part and strong smells are removed while the freshness remains. The texture of the meat is crispy and tender, and happiness comes with a bite of Salted Duck. Positive effects of eating the dish include the diminishing of inflammation, subsidence of swelling, and anti-aging. It’s especially good for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Braised Pork Ball in Brown Sauce

Braised Pork Ball in Brown Sauce is one of the most popular Yangzhou dishes and a traditional dish in Huaiyang cuisine in Jiangsu Province. There are two ways to cook the pork ball, steaming and braising. The main ingredient, pork balls, are made of 60% fat pork and 40% lean pork and are mashed with scallions, ginger, eggs and other ingredients. Then they are shaped into meatballs as big as a fist.  The rib pork is mashed and shaped into balls. After stewing the meatballs on low heat, the surface becomes rough because of the unbalanced portion of fat and lean meat. Braised Pork Ball in Brown Sauce requires very precise heat-control. The meatballs will become soft but not greasy after being stewed for 40 minutes. There are three ways to cook the braised pork ball: boiling in clear soup, steaming and braising.

Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish

Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish is a traditional dish with over 200 years of history of the Han ethnic group in Jiangsu Province. It is usually served as a steamed or braised dish at banquets. It is said that during the Qing dynasty, the Qianlong Emperor dined once at the Songhelou Restaurant in Suzhou when touring in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. He was very satisfied with the Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish which then made the dish famous all around China. Shallow diagonal cuts are made after filleting the fish. Then the filets are seasoned and coated with yolk paste and fried in hot oil. The fried fish will squeak when it is covered with scalding sweet and sour sauce. It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a beautiful orange color.

Salted Pork Trotter Jelly

Pork Trotter Jelly is a traditional dish with more than 300 years of history in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. The main ingredient, pork trotter, is seasoned with ginger, scallion, Shaoxing wine and other seasonings after being preserved. Then it is stewed and congealed which makes the dish pretty and delicious. The trotter looks crystal and it tastes better with shredded ginger and Zhenjiang vinegar.

Braised Tofu Stuffed with Meat and Prawn

Braised Tofu Stuffed with Meat and Prawn is a traditional dish from Wuxi, Jinagsu Province, created by Liu Junying, chef of the Yingbinlou Restaurant. The main ingredient is “Xiaoxiang” Tofu, a Wuxi local specialty. The dish is also called “Mirror Box Tofu” because of its box-shaped appearance. Braised Tofu Stuffed with Meat and Prawn not only has an eye appealing shape, but also has a salty sweet taste. The stuffing inside the chunks of Tofu offers a richer taste for the diners.

Crab Feast

From September to October is when hairy crabs appear on the market. The creamy crab insides are golden and oily, while the crab flesh full and sweet. If you want to pick a fine crab, just remember these two lines, “Eat female crabs in September, when the roe is full and the flesh thick; eat male crabs in October, when the creamy insides are rich and the flesh firm.” Steaming is the best way to cook the crab. The crab tastes tender and fine. It goes best with ginger shreds and warmed rice wine.