Characteristic Suzhou style snacks

Every place has its own characteristic snacks. Famous Shanghai snacks like xiaolongbao and glutinous rice balls have already made a name for themselves and become ”famous” outside Shanghai's borders. But how many kinds of different Suzhou snacks can you name?

The city of Suzhou is located near the cosmopolitan hub of Shanghai, and is commonly referred to as a ”beautiful water village.” However, there's more to Suzhou than beauty and water. Here we will list some traditional and popular snacks that the locals love and most travelers have never heard of. And as if this was not enough, we'll tell you where in Suzhou to go to get them too.

Plum cake

Originated in Suzhou, plum cake is a folk style savory food, which has a long history. It is said that when Emperor Qianlong traveled past Suzhou, he came across a cake that looked like a plum and tasted like a sweet dream. Once he tried it he was hooked, and gave it its name. Plum cake has a white base that is ”decorated” with plums and other sweets, and is said to be good for both the old and young. It's a hot cake, so you better eat slowly, as it can make your mouth blister.

Eat it at: The foot of Tonggui Bridge, Shantang Jie

Nanyuan steamed bun

There are many Nanyuan steamed bun restaurant chains in Suzhou, and every day people wait in long lines outside the shops. There are many varieties of Nanyuan steamed bun (which costs about 1,2 yuan each), such as steamed bun stuffed with red bean paste, meat, sesame, vegetables and rose. Each is full and succulent, and the bun itself has a slightly sweet taste.

The rose steamed bun is the most popular nanyuan bun, because of its special flavor and sweet fragrance of rose petals.

Eat it at: Suzhou Shiquan Jie (near the corner of Fenghuang Jie).

Yaba shengjian (pan fried stuffed dumpling)

Jiaozi -dumplings (Image: Radio86)Yaba shengjian (6 rmb for 8) was first made by a dumb chef, who had been making pan fried stuffed dumplings for years. As people loved the snack, business boomed, and today it has many popular outlets in Suzhou. A Yaba shengjian looks like a ”normal” dumpling and tastes a bit sweet. What makes it different is the fact that it has a long finish with sesame and soup sauce undertones to cater for the local taste preference.

Eat it at: Opposite Block 24, Su’an Xincun, Donghuan Lu, SIP (near agricultural trade market).

Braised Pork Noodle in Zhu Hongxing

Snacks on display (Image: Radio86)Founded in the 1940s, Zhu Hongxing Noodle Shop has become an honored brand in China. Every step - from choice of noodles, ingredients, flavor of soup to preparation - is meticulously executed.

Except for the traditional braised pork, fish and eel noodle, there are many other varieties, such as noodle with shrimp, crab, assorted vegetables, meat and mushrooms.

The most popular Zhu Hongxing Noodle Shop is the Guanqian branch (in the city center), and the most popular noodle is the Braised Pork Noodle (12 rmb for a bowl). The braised pork is fresh, tender and delicious, and kind of melts in your mouth. The noodle is thin and slightly sweet.

Eat it at: 108 Gong Xiang, Pingjiang District.

Tiger’s Claw

You may feel intimidated by the name - Tiger’s Claw, but the truth is that this cake has got little to do with real tigers. Rather, this snack is a kind of sweet baked, yellow bun cake that’s been named after its shape as it looks like tiger’s claw. It tastes crispy but not hard; sweet but not cloying. If you prefer it well done, you should choose the deep yellow ones, while the more soft or tender ones are light yellow in color.

This snack station is tucked away in Pishi jie, not far away from Suzhou's main shopping street Guanqian jie. Every afternoon, there are vendors selling Tiger’s claws near the Flower and Bird Market on this street. It is crowded with bicycles, pedestrians and some fixed pitch hawkers, giving the street a far from sophisticated look, however, it is a friendly street that’s full of the flavor of Suzhou life.

Eat it at: Flower and Bird Market, 172 Pishi Jie, Pingjiang District.

Sugar porridge

An extensive selection of snacks (Image: Radio86)Another delicacy hidden on the street Pishi Jie is sugar porridge. It is made by an old couple and has been known locally for many years. Every afternoon about 2 o’clock you can see a small stall near a fruit shop. Don't be fooled by the looks of this snack; it might come across as a watery, orange looking mess. But it's actually made of blackstrap molasses (a byproduct of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar) and rice that are mixed together. The taste is like a lot of other, Suzhou snack, dominated by sweetness (Suzhou citizens love sweet food and put sugar in most dishes). Since this is a super popular snack among locals it is recommended to visit this place early during the day before the porridge sells out.

Eat it at: Flower and bird market, 172 Pishi jie, Pingjiang District.

Lvyang Wonton

Wonton soup (Image: Wikipedia)In north China, people are fond of jiaozi (dumplings); in the south, however, most people love wonton. There are many different names for wonton depending on what area of the country you are in. Wontons are referred to as “Chaoshou” in Chongqin, and “Yuntun” in Taiwan. In Suzhou, Lvyang Wonton (5 rmb/wonton) is what locals prefer to munch on.

When it comes to the making of wonton, the skin, filling, size, soup, garnish are all very important. The skin should be very thin, and the same goes for the filling, as it will not only influence its appearance but also its taste. It's also important that the wonton is small.

With wontons come soup; otherwise it’s not an authentic wonton experience. In Suzhou the wonton soup is bright and transparent, but tasty. Some shrimp or shredded chicken with chopped scallions on top of the soup can make the wonton look more tempting.

Eat it at: 88 Bifeng Fang, Guanqian Jie.