Nanjing's kitchen leans gentle and savoury rather than fiery, with duck at the centre and a sweet tooth for osmanthus. Point at the Chinese names below to order.
Nanjing is famous for salted duck (盐水鸭) and duck blood vermicelli soup (鸭血粉丝汤), plus soup dumplings (汤包), beef potstickers (牛肉锅贴) and sweet osmanthus snacks such as 桂花糖芋苗. The easiest places to try them are the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) area, Laomendong, the Shiziqiao food street off Hunan Road, and Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌档). Local food is generally mild rather than spicy.
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yánshuǐ yā
Nanjing's most famous dish: duck cured with salt and spices, then gently poached and served cold in slices. Pale, tender, lightly salty and not greasy. Order by the half (半只) or quarter at a duck shop, or as a starter in restaurants.
yāxuě fěnsī tāng
The everyday Nanjing breakfast or lunch: clear duck broth with glass noodles, soft cubes of duck blood, fried tofu puffs, duck gizzard and liver, topped with coriander. Milder than it sounds. Say 不要香菜 (no coriander) if you prefer.
tāngbāo / jīzhī tāngbāo
Thin-skinned buns filled with pork and hot broth. Nanjing's version is often made with chicken stock. Nibble a hole, sip the soup, then dip in vinegar. Careful: the soup is very hot.
xiǎolóng bāo
Small steamed soup buns served in the bamboo basket they were cooked in. A plate of these with a bowl of duck blood soup is a classic Nanjing pairing.
niúròu guōtiē
Long pan-fried dumplings with a crisp golden base and juicy beef filling, a staple of Nanjing's Hui Muslim snack tradition. Often paired with beef soup (牛肉汤).
yāyóu sū shāobing
A layered, crumbly baked pastry made with duck fat, savoury or sweet. Best straight from the oven.
guìhuā táng yùmiáo
Small taro pieces in a sweet, slightly thick syrup scented with osmanthus flowers. A comforting dessert, especially on cool days.
chìdòu yuánxiāo
Sweet red bean soup with small chewy glutinous rice balls, often finished with osmanthus.
guìhuā gāo · guìhuā táng'ǒu
Two easy osmanthus treats: a soft steamed rice cake, and lotus root stuffed with sticky rice and glazed in osmanthus syrup.
wǔsè xiǎo gāo
Bite-size, colourful rice cakes, one of the traditional “Eight Delicacies of the Qinhuai” (秦淮八绝) snack set.
máyóu gānsī
Fine ribbons of pressed tofu dressed with sesame oil. A light, savoury side dish.
pídù miàn
A hearty local noodle soup with puffed fried pork skin that soaks up the broth, usually with greens, sausage slices and egg.
The traditional home of Qinhuai snacks. Around Gongyuan West Street (贡院西街) you will find several time-honoured shops. Busy and touristy at night, but the classics are here. Metro Line 3, Fuzimiao station.
Restored lanes just inside Zhonghua Gate packed with snack stalls, tea houses and old-style shops. Good for grazing during the day and early evening.
A pedestrian food street off Hunan Road (湖南路) in Gulou District, home to the flagship of Nanjing Impressions and many snack counters.
The central shopping district. The big malls have food floors with local chains, handy for a quick duck blood soup or dumplings between sights.
All of these appear on the Nanjing Municipal Commerce Bureau's list of special snack restaurants. Many have more than one branch; search the Chinese name in a map app or Dianping to find the nearest one and check current hours.
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Nanjing Impressions | 南京大牌档 | A sit-down tour of Nanjing dishes and snacks in old-style décor; flagship at Shiziqiao. |
| Qifangge | 奇芳阁 | Fuzimiao classics: duck-fat sesame cakes, sesame-oil shredded tofu, vegetable buns. |
| Lianhu Rice Cake Shop | 莲湖糕团店 | Five-colour little cakes, tiny osmanthus rice balls, red bean soup. |
| Jiang You Ji | 蒋有记 | Beef potstickers and beef soup; now in Laomendong. |
| Li Ji Pan-fried Dumplings | 李记锅贴 | Beef potstickers. |
| Jiming Tangbao | 鸡鸣汤包 | Soup dumplings. |
| Liu Changxing | 刘长兴 | Long-running noodle and dumpling house; red bean rice-ball soup. |
| Huiwei | 回味鸭血粉丝 | Reliable chain for duck blood vermicelli soup. |
| Fangpo | 芳婆 | Osmanthus cake and other sweet snacks. |
| Wanqinglou | 晚晴楼 | Qinhuai snacks in the Fuzimiao area. |
Salted duck (盐水鸭) and duck blood vermicelli soup (鸭血粉丝汤) are Nanjing's signature dishes. Other favourites are soup dumplings (汤包), beef potstickers (牛肉锅贴), duck-fat sesame cakes (鸭油酥烧饼) and osmanthus sweets such as sweet taro in osmanthus syrup (桂花糖芋苗).
There is no single best shop: locals buy salted duck from busy neighbourhood duck counters, and long-established names include Han Fuxing (韩复兴) and Zhangyun (章云板鸭). For a sit-down version, restaurants such as Nanjing Impressions (南京大牌档) serve it as a starter. Ask for 盐水鸭 and a half (半只) or a quarter.
Generally no. Nanjing cooking is savoury, lightly salted and sometimes sweet. If you want to be sure, say 我不吃辣 (I don't eat spicy food).
The Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) area and Gongyuan West Street, the Laomendong lanes near Zhonghua Gate, the Shiziqiao food street off Hunan Road, and Nanjing Impressions restaurant all gather many local snacks together.
Yes. Nanjing has a long Hui Muslim snack tradition: beef potstickers, beef soup and shops such as Qifangge (奇芳阁) are part of it. Look for the 清真 (halal) sign.
Last checked October 2026. Restaurants move and change hours; check before you go.