Ningbo Food - What and Where to eat in Ningbo

Ningbo Cuisine, also named Yongbang Cuisine, is an important offshoot of Zhejiang Cuisine, famous for its softness and original tastes and flavors. Ningbo food is cooked mainly by the techniques of frying, steaming and braising. As the city is near the sea, seafood, particularly fish, is naturally a popular dish. Many of the ten famous dishes of Ningbo involve seafood.

The ten famous dishes of Ningbo include Steamed Turtle in Crystal Sugar Soup (bingtao jiayu), Dry Fried River Eel (guoshao heman), Bean Curd Skin Roll with Yellow Croaker (fupi bao huangyu), Fried Lichen Cubes (taicai xiao fangkao), Fired Rooster (huiyi jinji), Steamed Pork Wrapped in Lotus Leaf (heye fenzhenrou), Braised Yellow Croaker (cailiu quan huangyu), Goose Liver with Lard (wangyou egan), Yellow Croaker Fish Maw (huangyu yudu), as well as the Yellow Croaker with Preserved Vegetables.

Steamed Turtle in Crystal Sugar Soup ranks the first among the famous ten dishes of Ningbo. It tastes soft and tender, both sweet and salty with a strong fragrance. The bright golden color easily sharpens any customer’s appetite. Besides the tasty flavor, this dish is also invigorating since it is rich in protein, iodine and vitamin B.

Yellow Croaker with Preserved Vegetables is made with a large yellow croaker from Zhoushan Fishery and Ningbo’s famous potherb mustard. It is tender, crisp and delicious with a special fragrance.

Bean Curd Skin Roll with Yellow Croaker is very popular among the locals. The bean curd roll is cut into small pieces and deep-fried. The bean curd skin is crisp while the fish inside is fresh and tender. Add some vinegar sauce and enjoy the pleasant taste.

In addition to these famous dishes, the city of Ningbo also has many tasty snacks, such as Ningbo Rice Glue Ball, Ningbo Pastries, puff pastry, and Ningbo Rice Cake.