Nanjing: One City, One Color
Nanjing’s color is sycamore green — tree-lined boulevards across the city, the deep green of Zhongshan Mausoleum, the lantern-red of Qinhuai River. Nanjing people love duck: salted duck, roast duck, pressed duck, duck blood vermicelli — “No duck makes it past the Nanjing Yangtze Bridge alive.”
Iconic Street Eats
Salted Duck
Jinling salted duck: white skin, red flesh, green-tinged bones. Cured with star anise, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, scallion, and ginger brine, then slow-cooked at low temperature. The meat is firm, savory, and perfectly balanced in saltiness. The osmanthus-season ducks around mid-autumn are the plumpest.
Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup
Duck blood cut into small cubes, crystal-clear vermicelli noodles, shredded duck gizzard, liver, and intestines, all crowned with a ladle of piping-hot duck broth. Add cilantro, chili oil, and white pepper. One bowl warms you to the core.
Beef Potstickers
Qijiawan beef potstickers are the most famous. Beef filling seasoned with scallion and ginger, folded into crescent shapes, pan-fried until the bottoms are golden and crispy. Dip in Zhenjiang black vinegar — one bite bliss.
Recommended Spots
| Name | Address | Signature Dish |
|---|---|---|
| Han Fuxing | Hunan Road | Salted Duck |
| Huiwei Duck Blood Vermicelli | Multiple locations | Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup |
| Qijiawan Beef Potstickers | Qijiawan | Beef Potstickers |
| Lianhu Rice Cake Shop | Fuzimiao | Sweet Taro Sprouts / Red Bean Yuanxiao |