Jiangsu Cuisine

Origin

Jiangsu Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Aquatics as its main ingredients, it stresses the freshness of materials. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, simmering, etc. Jiangsu cuisine is well known for its careful selection of ingredients, its meticulous preparation methodology, and its not-too-spicy, not-too-bland taste. Since the seasons vary in climate considerably in Jiangsu, the cuisine also varies throughout the year.

Flavors — Marine, Moderate, and Natural

Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh, and sweet and has delicate elegance. It brings out the distinct natural flavors in the rich range of meat and plant ingredients in its dishes, so it doesn't add much salt, sugar or seasonings like chili powder that hide and overwhelm the ingredients' flavors. Therefore, the meals are richly aromatic. The flavor is strong, but not too heavy; light, but not too bland.

Famous Dishes

Jiangsu cuisine's famous dishes are: sweet and sour mandarin fish (松鼠桂鱼), brine-boiled Duck ( 盐水鸭), duck wrapped in shark fins (鸭包鱼翅), water melon chicken (西瓜鸡).