Just like China's capital Beijing, the former capital Nanjing's cuisine is famous for one particular feathered friend. Ducks are everywhere, in many different forms, from steamed duck on one's plate to salted ones hanging in shop windows. Besides these perfect poultry, Nanjing offers perhaps the best variety of dumplings in China, along with intriguing small dishes or snacks that originate from a single area near the city's Confucian temple.

Nanjing cuisine is often overshadowed by food from itsbigger neighbour, Shanghai. However, these two belong to different culinary traditions as Nanjing's kitchen is a part of Jiangsu cuisine, which, in its turn, is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China. It is derived from the native cooking styles of the Jiangsu province, and sometimes it is called Yang cuisine after its major style, Huaiyang cuisine.

Ingredient makes the dish

Jiangsu cuisine and the Huáiyáng style are generally not that spicy, and the main point is carefully selected ingredients, often according to the seasons. Naturally the nearby river, the famous Yangtze, has affected the selection of ingredients, and fish is important part of the cuisine. Huáiyáng style also bases each dish on its main ingredient, and the way that ingredient is cut is pivotal to its cooking and final taste. To many travellers' delight, Huáiyáng cuisine includes various tasty dumplings (jiǎozi) and steamed, stuffed buns (bāozi).

Jinling is a former name for Nanjing, and nowadays snacks and beer share the moniker. (Image: Radio86)

Nanjing cuisine is part of Huáiyáng cuisine, and its dishes emphasise an even taste and matching colour. Nanjing has its very own specialties, which cannot be found anywhere else, at least not in their original form. The best-known dish is, of course, the salted and baked duck (yánshui yā). These salted, whole ducks can be found hanging in shops all over Nanjing, and even if they don't look that appetising, they must make up for their appearance when tasted, if their popularity is anything to go by. The other Nanjing duck speciality is steamed cutlets, which have gained fame and popularity, especially in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

Snacks make the meal

A true Nanjing experience is to sample the local small dishes called jinling snacks. Jinling originate in the Confucius Temple area, which is also the oldest part of the city. The district has long been the centre of Nanjing cuisine, and today these small snacks can be found at restaurants congregated around Dashiba Food Street. Set menus can include for example 14 different small dishes, among which one can find such traditional treats as duck blood, that has been congealed into a solid form, and smelly tofu. There are also different kinds of dumplings, tofu and duck dishes, which are more recognizable for a Western traveler. One should not be misled by the size of these small snacks, because the bill in the end is certainly not modest, even by Western standards.

Modern day Nanjingers often enjoy their dinners at huge and immensely popular restaurants, where one can select dishes from numerous counters, that offer a wide range of Nanjing specialities and much more. One just orders favoured dishes from the counter, and later they will be brought to the table. Seafood, fried pastries and pancakes, vegetables, meat in different forms, sweet cakes and soups – everything can be found in these culinary paradises. But no meal in Nanjing could be perfect without duck, the crown of the table, whether it is salted, steamed, or in a form of a soup.