Eating Ducks in Summer is a Must in Nanjing

Known as the “City of Ducks”, Nanjing has a long and profound history of eating and making ducks. The duck-eating habit in Nanjing was recorded as early as 1400 years ago in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Among the multiple duck cuisines in Nanjing, the “salted duck” is one of the best-known.

The plain but full-bodied taste of “salted duck” is perfectly matched with cold beer and summer. The locals in Nanjing have a unique habit of eating the salted duck. When they eat the salted duck, they prefer to gnaw and chew up the bone to suck the juice rather than eat big chunks of duck. Besides, they would like to buy several duck’s heads to go with the wine to fully enjoy the taste.

Duck Delicacies in Nanjing

Locals in Nanjing are by no means giving priority to eating the duck meat only when they enjoy the dishes made of ducks. The duck’s head, wing, gizzard, liver, neck, intestine, legs, claw, and even blood can all be used for cooking delicious dishes.

• Beauty Livers

“Beauty Liver” is a delicious dish made from duck pancreas and sliced duck breast and stir-fried with duck oil. It was a popular cuisine for politicians during the Republic of China era. Currently, you can eat this specialty at “Ma Xiang Xing”, a China time-honored brand in Nanjing.

• Duck Blood Soup with Vermicelli

Duck Blood Soup with Vermicelli is a famous Nanjing snack made of duck soup, vermicelli and duck’s blood, intestines, liver and gizzards that can be tasted almost everywhere in Nanjing.

• Sesame Seed Cake with Duck Oil

Sesame Seed Cake with Duck Oil is a special cake in Nanjing baked in the oven with duck oil and flour. It tastes warm and crisp the moment it is taken out of the oven and the taste of which is comparable with the finely-cooked delicacies. “Qi Fang Pavilion”, China’s time-honored brand in Nanjing, a good place to taste this dish.