Welcome to My Blog! I’m Emma Lee, an expatriate food blogger with a passion for exploring culinary delights. Since arriving in China, I’ve been captivated by the authentic street food and upscale restaurants alike. Today, I invite you to join me on a gastronomic journey through Nanjing—a city that melds ancient heritage with modern vibrancy, offering mouth-watering dishes that are as rich in history as they are in flavor. Let’s dive into the culinary world of Nanjing and uncover the secrets of its tantalizing tastes!

Summary

Must-Try Traditional Nanjing Cuisine

Nanjing Roast Duck

Nanjing Roast Duck
  • Introduction: Nanjing Roast Duck, a traditional dish of Nanjing and part of the Jinling cuisine, also known as Jinling Roast Duck, is celebrated for its crispy skin and tender meat, rich in flavor yet not greasy as found in other regions.
  • Chinese Name: 南京烤鸭
  • Pinyin: Nan Jing Kao Ya
  • Main Ingredients: Lake duck
  • Typical Meal Times: Lunch and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Xu’s Duck Shop (Laomen East Branch)
    • Address: No. 49 Santiaoying, Laomen East, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 AM – 06:00 PM
    • Average Price: 28 RMB

Chicken Broth Buns

Chicken Broth Buns
  • Introduction: Chicken Broth Buns are a gem among Nanjing’s snacks. Their main allure is the thin skin and generous filling, bursting with delicious, fresh broth. Just one bite releases a burst of flavor that encapsulates Nanjing’s ultimate passion and love for culinary arts.
  • Chinese Name: 鸡汁汤包
  • Pinyin: Ji Zhi Tang Bao
  • Main Ingredients: Chicken broth, diced chicken, flour
  • Typical Meal Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Jiming Steamed Buns (Gongyuan West Street Branch)
    • Address: No. 17 Gongyuan West Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00-22:00
    • Average Price: 32 RMB

Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup

Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup
  • Introduction: Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup is a traditional Nanjing dish, a prominent representative of Jinling cuisine, and a famous duck-based delicacy nationwide. It is prepared by cooking duck blood, duck intestines, duck liver, and vermicelli in duck broth, resulting in tender duck blood, crispy intestines, soft liver, flavorful broth, and elastic vermicelli.
  • Chinese Name: 鸭血粉丝汤
  • Pinyin: Ya Xue Fen Si Tang
  • Main Ingredients: Duck blood, vermicelli, duck intestines, duck liver, duck gizzard
  • Typical Meal Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Xiaopanji Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup
    • Address: No. 198 Zhongshan East Road, Longtai International Mansion beside Starbucks, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00-20:00
    • Average Price: 31 RMB

Beef Potstickers

Beef Potstickers
  • Introduction: Beef Potstickers are a popular street snack that resemble dumplings but are pan-fried to a golden, crispy finish, offering a crispy exterior and tender interior. The beef filling is exceptionally savory, making each bite irresistibly juicy.
  • Chinese Name: 牛肉锅贴
  • Pinyin: Niu Rou Guo Tie
  • Main Ingredients: Flour, beef
  • Typical Meal Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Liji Islamic Restaurant (Dading Alley Branch)
    • Address: No. 1 Dading Alley, Pingshi Street, Chaotiangong Residential District, Qinhuai, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 05:30-19:30
    • Average Price: 28 RMB

Tripe Noodles

Tripe Noodles
  • Introduction: Tripe Noodles are a traditional Nanjing specialty snack, also known as Jinling cuisine or Jinling small noodles. These noodles are known for their rich broth and variety of ingredients, offering a fresh and palatable taste.
  • Chinese Name: 皮肚面
  • Pinyin: Pi Du Mian
  • Main Ingredients: Tripe, pig liver, sausage, shredded meat
  • Typical Meal Times: Snack, lunch, and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Yiji Tripe Noodles (Mingwalang Branch)
    • Address: No. 101 Mingwalang, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 06:30 AM – 08:30 PM
    • Average Price: 15 RMB

Plum Blossom Cake

Plum Blossom Cake
  • Introduction: As a traditional Nanjing pastry, Plum Blossom Cake charms many with its unique shape and taste. Resembling plum blossoms, it is soft, sweet, and rich in filling. Each bite offers a perfect blend of glutinous rice and filling, leaving one longing for more. This pastry is not only delicious but also an essential part of Nanjing’s festive celebrations.
  • Chinese Name: 梅花糕
  • Pinyin: Mei Hua Gao
  • Main Ingredients: White flour, red bean paste, sugar
  • Typical Meal Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Master Zuo’s Plum Blossom Cake (Xinjiekou Branch)
    • Address: No. 2-2 Huaihai Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
    • Average Price: 10 RMB

Old Marinade Noodles

Old Marinade Noodles
  • Introduction: Old Marinade Noodles are a staple in the lives of many old Nanjing locals and a dish many expats dream about. The standout feature is the ‘tiger-skin’ pork, which is absolutely sensational with a bite, especially when paired with pickled vegetables and hot oil, creating an unmatched flavor.
  • Chinese Name: 老卤面
  • Pinyin: Lao Lu Mian
  • Main Ingredients: Noodles, pork
  • Typical Meal Times: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Xiaolong Big Meat Noodles
    • Address: No. 28 Shuangqiaomen, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 06:30 AM – 08:00 PM
    • Average Price: 20 RMB

Rice Cake Balls

Rice Cake Balls
  • Introduction: Rice Cake Balls are a traditional Nanjing pastry and a classic example of Jinling snacks. Nanjing’s approach to sweets emphasizes that they should be sweet but not cloying, and glutinous but not sticky, truly making them a delicacy. Moreover, the visual appeal and colors are as important as the taste, making these small, colorful, and delicately shaped treats a joy to eat, with their soft, sweet texture and fragrant aroma.
  • Chinese Name: 糕团
  • Pinyin: Gao Tuan
  • Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar
  • Typical Meal Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Aunt Xu’s Rice Cake Balls Shop (Changbai Street Branch)
    • Address: No. 1 Puhua Alley, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:00 AM – 07:00 PM
    • Average Price: 23 RMB

Salted Duck

Salted Duck
  • Introduction: Salted Duck is a famous specialty of Nanjing, particularly renowned when made during the osmanthus blooming season around Mid-Autumn Festival, which gives rise to its nickname “Osmanthus Duck.” Unlike many traditional cured meats which are typically salted, Nanjing Salted Duck is prepared using a low-temperature cooking method that makes the duck meat tender and juicy. This delicacy is not just a culinary treat but also a symbol of Nanjing’s renowned hospitality.
  • Chinese Name: 盐水鸭
  • Pinyin: Yan Shui Ya
  • Main Ingredients: Duck meat
  • Typical Meal Times: Lunch and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Xu’s Duck Shop (Qinhong South Road Branch)
    • Address: No. 34 Qinhong South Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 07:00 AM – 07:30 PM
    • Average Price: 30 RMB

Red Bean Yuanxiao

Red Bean Yuanxiao
  • Introduction: When visiting Nanjing, one must try the Red Bean Yuanxiao. This warm, sweet, and glutinous treat is particularly comforting in the autumn and winter seasons.
  • Chinese Name: 赤豆元宵
  • Pinyin: Chi Dou Yuan Xiao
  • Main Ingredients: Red beans (Adzuki beans), glutinous rice flour
  • Typical Meal Times: Snack
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Liu Changxing (Gulou Branch)
    • Address: No. 6 Gaoloumen, Xuanwu District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 07:00 AM – 08:30 PM
    • Average Price: 28 RMB

Meiling Porridge

Meiling Porridge
  • Introduction: Meiling Porridge, one of Nanjing’s traditional dishes, originated during the Republican era and is reputed to have been the favorite of the first lady of the Republic. It’s made from a mix of soy milk, glutinous rice, japonica rice, Chinese yam, lily, goji berries, and rock sugar, offering a light yet nutritious meal.
  • Chinese Name: 美龄粥
  • Pinyin: Mei Ling Zhou
  • Main Ingredients: Soy milk, glutinous rice, japonica rice, Chinese yam, lily, goji berries, rock sugar
  • Typical Meal Times: Lunch and dinner
  • Recommended Season: Year-round
  • Nanjing Food Stall (Confucius Temple Pingjiangfu Branch)
    • Address: No. 48 Dashiba Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing (Apple Maps/Amap)
    • Opening Hours:
      • Monday to Thursday, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM;
      • Friday, 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM – 10:30 PM;
      • Saturday, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM – 10:30 PM;
      • Sunday, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM;
    • Average Price: 73 RMB