Nanjing
? Salted Duck: Tender duck dry-cured with spices, known for its tender meat with aromatic, savory depth.
? Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup: A hearty broth with duck blood curd, vermicelli and offal, beloved for its richness.
? Pan-fried Beef Dumplings: Crispy-bottomed dumplings filled with juicy minced beef — a street food staple.
Yangzhou
? Fried Rice: The gold standard of Chinese fried rice, mixed with shrimp, ham, eggs and peas.
? Lion's Head Meatballs: Giant pork meatballs are famous for melt-in-the-mouth texture and surface resembling a lion's mane.
? Boiled Tofu Strips: A refined soup with dried tofu shreds, bamboo shoots, vegetables and shrimp in a chicken broth.
Suzhou
? Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish: Crispy fried fish carved to resemble a squirrel and drenched in a sweet-and-sour sauce.
? Suzhou-style Mooncakes: Flaky, savory pastries filled with minced pork or sweet red bean paste.
? Three-shrimp Tofu: Silken tofu topped with fresh shrimp roe, shrimp meat and shrimp oil — a summer delicacy.
Wuxi
? Wuxi Spareribs: Fall-off-the-bone pork ribs glazed in a caramel-like soy and rock sugar sauce.
? Taihu White Shrimp: Delicate freshwater shrimp from Taihu Lake steamed to highlight their natural sweetness.
? Yulan Cake: Glutinous rice dough stuffed with pork and pan-fried to crispy perfection — a Wuxi breakfast favorite.
Hangzhou
? Dongpo Pork: Named after poet Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), this fatty pork belly is slow-cooked with rock sugar in wine until it's buttery.
? Longjing Shrimp: Succulent shrimp stir-fried with Hangzhou's famed Dragon Well tea leaves.
? Dingsheng Cake: Steamed rice cakes dyed pink and shaped like ingots, with red bean paste — eaten for good luck.
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