Jinling Flavors, Nanjing Soul: Featured Delicacies and a Travel Invitation in Daily Warmth
Nanjing's cuisine is like a scroll steeped in the thousand-year-old cultural heritage of Jinling, bearing both the elegance of imperial banquets and the vivid warmth of street life, with every bite holding a unique taste memory of this city. Known as the "Duck City", salted duck is the soul symbol of Nanjing's food. Local free-range spot-billed ducks are made through multiple processes such as slow brining, air-drying, etc. The duck skin is as white and smooth as condensed fat, the duck meat is firm and tender, and even the bones exude a light salty and sweet aftertaste. Han Fuxing, a time-honored brand, is known as the "top of ducks". When eaten cold with a little shredded ginger, it tastes "clear but not bland, fragrant yet not greasy", perfectly interpreting Nanjing people's ultimate pursuit of "freshness".
Deep in the streets and alleys of Nanjing, duck blood and vermicelli soup is the most down-to-earth popular snack. The soup base of well-known stores such as Xiao Pan Ji and Ya De Bao needs to be simmered with whole old ducks for several hours until the soup turns milky white and thick. Then add smooth duck blood, crispy duck intestines, soft duck liver and transparent vermicelli, and sprinkle a handful of green onion. Taking a slurp, the freshness of the soup and the original flavor of the ingredients blend in the mouth, and the fishy smell of the offal is completely removed, leaving only the reassuring warmth. This delicacy has also been specially recommended by travel programs such as Fun Traveler, becoming a must-try for tourists.
The beef potstickers of Li Ji Halal Restaurant are a nearly century-old taste classic. This 90-year-old store has always adhered to traditional craftsmanship. The beef filling is mixed with soup slowly simmered from beef tendons, then fried in rapeseed oil until the outer skin is golden and crispy. The moment you bite it, the hot soup bursts out instantly, with the fresh aroma of beef and the richness of fat intertwined. It is paired with a small plate of rice vinegar to cut greasiness, with a rich yet not heavy taste. With its high cost-effectiveness and authentic flavor, it has also been included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation list. The Madame Song's Porridge, which carries the elegance of the Republic of China era, was originally created to alleviate Song Meiling's loss of appetite. It is slowly simmered with soy milk, glutinous rice and yam until it is delicate and dense, then added with lily bulbs and wolfberries to enhance fragrance and sweetness. It is smooth and mild in the mouth, and now it is one of the most beloved breakfasts of Nanjing people, known as the "King of Nanjing Breakfast".
The unique crispy pork skin noodles in Nanjing hide the "rivers and lakes vibe" of the old southern part of the city. The golden pork skin is made from pork hind leg skin through multiple processes such as boiling, drying, frying and soaking. After absorbing the soup simmered with pork bones, it tastes crispy and tender with elasticity. A bowl of noodles is also paired with ingredients such as tomatoes, pickles, shredded pork and vegetable seedlings. The soup is abundant and delicious. Old Nanjing people always like to add a spoonful of chili oil, eating until they sweat all over, which is the way to taste this unique joy.
Nanjing's food is never an isolated taste experience, but a lifestyle deeply integrated with the city's scenery. It is specially recommended that after you come here, you can wander around Laomendong, first take a bite of the just-cooked crispy beef potstickers, then hold a warm bowl of Madame Song's Porridge to enjoy the slow time of the ancient streets; when visiting the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River area, you may enter Nanjing Da Pai Dang to taste various foods such as salted duck and duck blood vermicelli soup in one stop, enjoying the comfort with the night view of Qinhuai River; after visiting the Zhongshan Scenic Area, order a bowl of crispy pork skin noodles in a street noodle shop to replenish energy, and take a few boxes of vacuum-packed Han Fuxing salted duck as souvenirs when leaving, bringing the taste of Nanjing home. This city wrapped in the aroma of food will surely make every part of your journey extremely unforgettable with the warmth and vitality on the tip of your tongue.
