Suzhou people are particularly fond of seasonal food, and there are a batch of local delicacies coming into the market this month. Scroll down and check if there is any to your liking.
Fengzhen Pork Noodles
The base soup is concocted from stewed pork bones, eel bones and fermented rice wine. The pork, usually stewed for three to four hours, is so soft and tender that it melts in the mouth.
Where: Tong De Xing同得兴, Su Yu Zhai苏虞斋面馆
Three Shrimps Noodles
This famous noodle contains three main parts: shrimp meat, roe and brain (the “three shrimps”). The base materials are fresh shrimps from the Taihu Lake. The noodles are subject to availability as the restaurants have to make sure the shrimps are fresh.
Where: Yu Xing Ji裕兴记, Zhu Hong Xing朱鸿兴面馆
Dumpling with Fried Meat Stuffing
This special dumpling normally hits the shelves in May and is available till September. The stuffing mainly includes three meats and three vegetables, namely shelled shrimps, pork, dried shrimps, minced bamboo shoots, black fungus and day lilies. Each dumpling is freshly made and special meat sauce must be poured into it before it is served.
Where: Ming Yue Lou明月楼, Wan Fu Xing万福兴
Wumi Rice
Wumi rice has a history of over 1,800 years. After being cleaned and triturated, the leaves of sea bilberries are cooked with glutinous rice. The white rice will then turn black and more nutritious.
Where: Wu Zhen Tang吴珍堂
Broad Bean
Nonlocal broad beans appear on the market in early spring, but broad beans grown in Suzhou are not available till early summer. The local varieties have thin pods, and are tender, juicy and sweet.
Where: Fengmen Hengjie葑门横街
Edible Amaranth
Edible amaranth has three main varieties: green amaranth, red amaranth, and colored amaranth whose leaves appear in green on the edge and purple in the center. The red amaranth tastes soft and glutinous after being cooked, and the purplish red juice can be used as coloring agent. Be careful when eating. It may stain your clothes.
Where: Fengmen Hengjie葑门横街
Green Plum
Green plums grown in Suzhou usually come into the market in May, during which the plums are plump and crisp. Many people use green plums for making wine or crisp plums.
Where: Fengmen Hengjie葑门横街
Loquat
Baiyu, Baisha and Qingzhong are the most well-known varieties of loquats in Suzhou, and usually hit the market in mid-May or later. Apart from buying loquats at markets or online, you can also pick them at orchards yourself.
Where: Jinmanting Agricultural Park Loquat Picking Base金满庭农业园枇杷采摘基地, Yuhua Shengjing Loquat Orchard雨花胜境枇杷园