Must-try local cuisine

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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