Jiangsu Cuisine 苏菜

苏菜即江苏菜。由淮扬、金陵、苏锡、徐海四个地方风味组成，其影响遍及长江中下游广大地区，在国内外享有盛誉。江苏菜的特点是：用料广泛，以江河湖海水鲜为主；刀工精细，烹调方法多样，擅长炖焖煨焐；追求本味，清鲜平和，适应性强；菜品风格雅丽，形质均美。
Jiangsu cuisine, also known as Su Cai, consists of the local flavors of Huaiyang, Jinling, Suxi and Xuhai. Its influence reaches the broader area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and it enjoys a great reputation both at home and abroad. The features of Jiangsu cuisine include: extensive variety in raw ingredients which are mainly foods from rivers, lakes and the sea; exquisite cutting techniques and varied cooking methods, of which the stewing, braising, simmering and warming are the best, preserving original flavors, maintaining clarity, freshness and mildness along with versatility. Dish styles are exquisite and elegant with a fine appearance and they are of good quality.
江苏为鱼米之乡，物产丰饶，饮食资源十分丰富。著名的水产品有长江三鲜（鲟鱼、刀鱼、鲴鱼）、太湖银鱼、阳澄湖清水大闸蟹、南京龙池鲫鱼以及其它众多的海鲜品。
Jiangsu is a land of bounty with abundant produce and culinary resources. The area’s famous aquatic produce include the three fresh delicacies of the Yangtze River (sturgeon, the long-tailed anchovy and catfish), Taihu Lake silver fish, Yangcheng Lake fresh water crab, Longchi Lake crucian from Nanjing and other varieties of sea foods.
江苏菜风格清新雅丽，反映在刀工精细，刀法多变上。无论是工艺冷盘、花色热菜，还是瓜果雕刻，或脱骨浑制，或雕镂剔透，都显示了精湛的刀工技术。清鲜平和、追求本味、适应性强是江苏风味的基调。无论是江河湖鲜，还是禽畜时蔬，都强调突出本味的一个“鲜”字。
The exquisite and elegant styles of Jinagsu cuisine are apparent through the exquisite cutting techniques and their variety. Cold dishes are those of arts and crafts, and hot dishes are those of designs and colors. The carvings of melons and fruit are exquisitely made, in core removing or overall carving or openwork carving, serving as a demonstration of the superior cutting techniques. Maintenance of clarity, freshness and mildness as well as the preservation of the original flavors and versatility are the basis of Jiangsu cuisine. Chefs prize the presentation of the “delicate flavor” of an ingredient’s original taste, when they cook food coming from rivers and lakes as well as being poultry and seasonal vegetables.
江苏菜以重视火候、讲究刀工而著称，尤擅长炖焖煨焐，著名的“镇扬三头”（扒烧整猪头、清炖蟹粉狮子头、拆烩鲢鱼头）、“苏州三鸡”（叫花鸡、西瓜童鸡、早红桔酪鸡）以及“金陵三叉”（叉烤鸭、叉烤桂鱼、叉烤乳猪）都是其代表之名品。
Jiangsu cuisine is famous for the emphasis being placed upon cooking times and exquisite cutting techniques. Stewing, braising, simmering and warming are the best of its techniques. Famous representative dishes include the “three heads of Zhenyang” ( simmered pig head and large meatballs boiled in a clear soup with crab meat and braised chub head), “three chickens of Jiangsu” (beggars’ chicken, young chicken with watermelon and stewed chicken with Zaohong orange) and the “three roast foods of Jinling” (roasted duck, roasted mandarin fish and roasted suckling pig).
江苏菜式的组合亦颇有特色。除日常饮食和各类筵席讲究菜式搭配外，还有“三筵”具有独到之处。其一为船宴，见于太湖、瘦西湖、秦淮河；其二为斋席，见于镇江金山、焦山斋堂、苏州灵岩斋堂、扬州大明寺斋堂等；其三为全席，如全鱼席、全鸭席、鳝鱼席、全蟹席等等。
Combinations within Jiangsu cuisine are also one of its characteristics. The pairing of dishes is important in daily diets as well as various banquets and feasts. In addition, there are the distinctive “three banquets”. One is the banquet held on a ship which can be seen on the Taihu Lake, the Slender West Lake and the Qinhuai River; another one is a vegetarian dish banquet which may be seen in the abstinence halls of Jinshan Mountain and Jiaoshan Mountain of Zhenjiang, Lingyan abstinence hall in Suzhou and Daming Temple’s abstinence hall in Yangzhou etc. The other style of banquet is the full banquet, for example there are full banquets of fishes, full banquets of ducks, full banquets of eels and full banquets of crabs etc.
江苏菜按照自身风味体系又可分为淮扬风味、金陵风味、苏锡风味和徐海风味四大流派。
The flavor styles of Jiangsu cuisine can be classified into four schools including Huaiyang flavor, Jinling flavor, Suxi flavor and Xuhai flavor.
淮扬风味以扬州、淮安为中心，肴馔以清淡见长。
The Huaiyang flavor dishes are centered in Yangzhou and Huai’an, of which the light dishes are the best.
金陵风味，以滋味平和、醇正适口为特色，兼取四方之美，适应八方之需。
Jinling flavor dishes are characterized by good taste and mildness, purity and palatable qualities. Jinling dishes adopt the merits of different styles and complement different tastes.
苏锡风味，以苏州、无锡为中心。苏锡菜原重视甜出头、咸收口，浓油赤酱，近代已向清新雅丽方向发展，甜味减轻，鲜咸清淡。
Suxi flavor dishes are centered in Suzhou and Wuxi. The flavors of Suxi dishes used to be rather sweet and salty with rich oils and sauces. In modern times Suxi dishes have developed becoming clear and elegant. Their sweet taste has decreased and their salty taste has been transformed into a light one.
徐海风味，指徐州、连云港一带。徐海菜以鲜咸为主，五味兼蓄，风格淳朴，注重实惠，名菜别一格。
Xuhai flavor dishes are those of Xuzhou and Lianyungang. Most Xuhai dishes are fresh and salty, combining the five flavors (sweetness, sourness, bitterness, heat, and saltiness). They are simple and substantial, having a style of their own.
著名的菜肴有：盐水鸭、松鼠桂鱼、清炖甲鱼等。
The famous dishes include: salted duck, sweet and sour deep-fried mandarin fish and braised soft-shelled turtle in clear soup etc.