Nanjing salted duck
盐水鸭 · Nanjing, China
'Jinling's duck dishes are the best in the land': dry-cured, brined and simmered, with pale skin and tender meat.
Know before you go
- Don't waste food
- when buying a whole duck, ask the shop to cut it for you rather than rummaging through them
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Nanjing is a food city famed for Jinling cuisine, above all its duck dishes, and salted duck holds a place in the south comparable to Peking duck in the north. Some historians believe the people of Nanjing have raised ducks for more than two thousand years. Salted duck goes through dry-curing, brining, drying and gentle simmering, so that the fat fully transforms. Many diners like autumn ducks best, saying their meat carries the scent of osmanthus, so it is also called 'osmanthus duck'.
Local customs
- Usually served sliced as a cold dish
- Nanjingers also love duck blood and vermicelli soup and duck-fat sesame cakes
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: don't get physical in a dispute
- Walk away from an argument and call the police if needed
- Pushing, shoving or fighting
Whoever starts it, taking part in a fight can bring a fine or detention, and the injured party usually demands compensation.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
China: carry your original passport
- Foreign visitors should carry their original passport
- Carrying only a copy or photo of your passport
Police make random ID checks and do not accept printouts; if you cannot show your passport, you may be fined or detained.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: China travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- Don't waste food
- when buying a whole duck, ask the shop to cut it for you rather than rummaging through them
Locals appreciate DO
Nanjingers appreciate the 'whole duck' approach: salted duck with duck blood and vermicelli soup.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- There are many duck shops around the Confucius Temple and Xinjiekou, carving to order. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
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