Inventory of seasonal delicacies in Suzhou (continuously updated

水八仙

水八仙 is a traditional food in southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang, also known as "水八仙" ". Water Eight Immortals include the edible parts of eight kinds of aquatic plants, including wild rice, lotus root, cress, gorgon fruit (chicken head rice), Ci mushroom (arrow mushroom, water chestnut, water shield, water chestnut), most of which are on the market in autumn.

At the end of August, red water chestnuts are on the market. The water in the south of the Yangtze River nourishes all things, and the red water chestnuts grown in Suzhou are also small and smart. There is a saying that the red water chestnuts picked on the same day must be eaten on the same day. Its crisp and refreshing taste is sweet and light.

Chicken head rice is the common name for Gorgon fruit in Suzhou. It is also the first among the eight water immortals in the eyes of the people. Oranges are born in Huainan, and the feng shui of Jiangnan is moist. , the same kind of glutinous rice is used, but Suzhou’s chicken head rice is softer, glutinous and sweeter.

The most unpretentious way to preserve the original taste of the food is that Suzhou people prefer boiling the chicken head rice. Sugar, sprinkled with sweet-scented osmanthus, it is a sweet, glutinous, delicious and refreshing snack. "The taste is as smooth as milk puffs, and the aroma is as refreshing as orchid." A delicious water shield soup always makes people want to eat it. Therefore, it must be picked and made on the same day to ensure the freshness. The most special thing about water shield is its smooth and tender texture, which is cool and refreshing.

Roasted chestnuts with sweet-scented osmanthus

The streets of Suzhou are so delicious. The aroma of sweet-scented osmanthus wafts all over the streets. Suzhou people are good at using sweet-scented osmanthus, and the delicacies made with sweet-scented osmanthus are so sweet and fragrant that you will salivate just thinking about them.

Osmanthus-sugar-roasted chestnuts are the two most representative aromas of autumn that collide to form the ultimate delicacy. After being stir-fried in a hot iron pot, the sugar-roasted chestnuts slightly open their mouths, exuding a warm and sweet flavor. The aroma of roasting. Buy a small bag for 20 yuan, peel it and throw it into your mouth, it is the taste of autumn happiness.

Be patient when buying chestnuts. There are diners in the sugar-fried chestnut shops in the streets every day. There is an endless stream of people, and there is a long queue.

Mei Cai Braised Pork

Suzhou has four kinds of meat throughout the year: spring pork with cherry sauce, summer steamed pork with lotus leaves, and autumn plum. Braised Pork with Vegetables and Braised Pork with Winter Sauce.

Braised pork with plums and vegetables is available in different places. The method of braised pork with plums and vegetables in Suzhou is a little more complicated. You need to cook the pork belly first and then oil it. Deep-fried and then steamed, not to mention the tedious details.

After being polished by heat and time, this pork belly with pickled vegetables is fat but not greasy, and melts in your mouth with the pickled vegetables and sauce. The sweet fragrance is perfect for eating.

Hairy crabs

When the autumn wind blows, crab legs are itchy. When it comes to Suzhou’s autumn delicacies, you can’t avoid the hairy crabs in Yangcheng Lake in October. It's the day when hairy crabs are on the market. During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner, a pot of hairy crabs is always a must.

The simplest cooking method can steam the delicious taste of the male crab paste and the female crab paste. There is a lot of crab roe, delicious taste, and sweet aftertaste. In addition to steaming, there are also various ways to eat it: bald butter, crab meat dumplings, and crispy crabs. In short, Suzhou’s autumn is dominated by these little crabs!

Dongting Frost Orange

After the frost in October, the orange and pomelo, a specialty of the Taihu Mountains in Dongting, matures and tastes sweet. Early red tangerines will not deteriorate over the years after being picked and stored. They are an indispensable fruit for people in Wudi to celebrate the new year and give as gifts during the festival.

Dongting Mountain produces oranges, which turn red when the frost falls. The fruitful scene is very beautiful. There is a good place to enjoy the autumn scenery in the Humble Administrator's Garden: the Daishuang Pavilion, where there are several Dongting orange trees.

When the oranges mature, the residents of Dongxishan begin the busy picking season. Families were peeling oranges and chatting about daily life, and they were full of joy. Take advantage of these lukewarm days, pack some ginkgo, oranges, and cakes, and enjoy the maples at Tianping Mountain, the ginkgo trees at Daoqian Street, the reed blossoms at Taihu Lake, and experience a leisurely and delicious time in autumn.