Jiangsu Cuisine 苏菜

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.

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.

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.

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).

Combinations within Jiangsu cuisine are also one of its characteristics. The pairing of dishes is imp0rtant 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.

The flavor styles of Jiangsu cuisine can be classified into four schools including Huaiyang flavor, Jinling flavor, Suxi flavor and Xuhai flavor.

The Huaiyang flavor dishes are centered in Yangzhou and Huai’an, of which the light dishes are the best.

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.

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.

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.

The famous dishes include: salted duck, sweet and sour deep-fried mandarin fish and braised soft-shelled turtle in clear soup etc.