Affected by a severe cold front, Suzhou has entered the meteorological winter, according to the Suzhou Meteorological Observatory. The weather will be cloudy with scattered showers in the coming days.
As winter comes, a myriad of delicious food will be served on the dining table in Suzhou.

Mutton

Mutton in Suzhou can be served in many ways: boiled mutton, mutton noodles, mutton soup, stir-fried sheep offal with garlic, etc. A bowl of mutton soup will warm you up from head to foot.

Recommended places: Cangshu, Qiandeng Townin Kunshan, and Shuangfeng Townin Taicang

Winter bamboo shoots

Tender winter bamboo shoots are suitable for home-made meals such as shredded pork with shepherd’s purse and bamboo shoots. The price of winter bamboo shoots is even higher than that of pork before and after the Spring Festival!

Suzhou-style hotpot

Compared with Beijing mutton hotpot and Sichuan hotpot, Suzhou hotpot is quite unique. Stir-fry winter bamboo shoots and potherb mustard, boil chicken soup with tofu and dried mushrooms, then add egg dumplings, fried fish, pork skin and soybean sprouts, and a pot of Suzhou-style hotpot is ready to be savored.

Loquat honey

Dongshan and Xishan areas in Suzhou produce high-quality loquats. Loquat flowers usually bloom from October to February of the next year. This winter’s first batch of loquat honey has already been gathered, which is top-grade among winter honey and has high nutritional value.

Winter wine

Technically, Suzhou winter wine is more of a fermented glutinous rice wine (alcohol content: 2-4%) with sweet flavour of osmanthus. It is usually sold a few days before the Winter Solstice.