Nanjing cuisine belongs to Jiangsu cuisine. Nanjing cuisine generally refers to Jinling cuisine, also known as "Sujing cuisine" and "Sujing cuisine". The raw materials of Jinling cuisine are mostly aquatic products, which pay attention to freshness, fine knife skills and make good use of cooking methods such as stewing, stewing, roasting and simmering. It tastes mild, fresh and crispy. The dishes are exquisite and elegant. Pay attention to knife work, be good at pyrotechnics, be rich in changing techniques and taste characteristics suitable for both north and south, and at the same time take the characteristics of four directions to adapt to the tastes of all directions.

Nanjing is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with warm climate, fertile soil, abundant products, convenient transportation, strong economy and prosperous market, which greatly promoted the development of catering industry. There are not only many cooking materials like those in other places, but also many local cooking resources, such as: Longchi crucian carp with small head, black back and thick meat; Yellow vegetables with short legs, short stems and fat leaves; Fresh and tender lake duck; Black herring in Wulongtan; Cloud tea in Zhongshan; Nanxiang's thin-skinned pig; Swordfish and shad in the Yangtze River? Some of these resources are produced in suburbs and some in urban areas, which provides unique conditions for the production of Beijing-Soviet cuisine. During the Republic of China, local restaurants in Nanjing gathered around Confucius Temple.

Historically, Beijing-Suzhou cuisine includes official dishes, local dishes, folk dishes, Muslim dishes, vegetarian dishes and boat dishes. Republic of China cuisine refers to the specific historical period from 19 12 established in Nanjing in the Republic of China to 1949, with local Beijing-Suzhou cuisine as the main ingredient, supplemented by exotic dishes, including Zhejiang-Shaoxing, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and some authentic dishes popular in Nanjing during the Republic of China.

Jinling cuisine pays attention to seven flavors: fresh, rotten, crisp, tender, crisp, thick, fat, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, fragrant and smelly. Mainly salty, salty with sweetness, sour but not astringent, bitter but not fragrant, spicy but not strong, crisp but not raw, thick but not alcoholic, fat but not greasy, light but not thin, representing the noble, elegant, gorgeous and atmospheric style of the ancient capital.