Where to have a bite of 'sweet Suzhou'

"Suzhou has sweet and delicious food!" Many people from other places reach that conclusion after visiting the city. So, what sweet snacks can you treat yourself to during trips to Suzhou? Today, follow iSuzhou and have a bite of "sweet Suzhou."

A dice of sauce-braised pork ushers in spring in Suzhou. The meat usually appears on the market in early spring and can be bought in braised dishes stores. The ingredients are high-quality streaky pork ribs, which are cut into four-centimeter-long dice. In the processing process, red yeast rice is used as a natural colorant and gives the dish a vibrant red hue and fragrance.

Recommendations: Lu Gao Jian陆稿荐观前街店, Du San Zhen杜三珍(石路直营总店), and Xianfeng Shierzao鲜丰十二灶

Suzhou-style gaotuan, or sticky rice cake, has salty and sweet flavors.

The salty ones include lard cakes in winter and rice balls filled with fried meat in summer. Those sold in spring are mostly sweet, such as the representative product qingtuan, or green glutinous rice ball with stuffing. 

Malt pancake is a seasonal snack in Wujiang district of Suzhou. Its black color comes from an edible wild herb called Western Starwort. 

As masson pine trees begin to put forth their blossoms, the pine pollen rice balls appear on the market.

Recommendations: Huang Tian Yuan黄天源食品(观前街店), Wan Fu Xing万福兴(竹辉直销店), Ming Yue Lou明月楼·糕团店(三元坊店), Jin Shui Lou近水楼糕团, Shenji Qingtuan沈记青团, and Wen Kui Zhai文魁斋

There are also small sweet snacks Suzhou locals favor, such as fermented rice pancakes. The ingredients of fermented glutinous rice are contained in the skins instead of the fillings.

Haitang cakes and Meihua cakes are easily found on the city's streets. With the shape of flowers, they have green and red carrot peels atop the surface and are stuffed with red bean paste.

Recommendations: Cai Zhi Zhai采芝斋(三香路店), Xu Jia Men许家门酒酿饼, Chen Lao Da陈老大梅花糕海棠糕, Mei Yue Xuan梅月轩·梅花糕(平江路店), Linjia Puzi林家铺子(山塘街店), Ren Chang Shun仁昌顺(震泽店)

It is easy to make sugar porridge. A half bowl of white porridge and a half bowl of red bean paste make a complete bowl of sugar porridge. You can also add small rice balls and gorgon fruits into it. Some shops also creatively add ingredients that young people like such as mashed taros.

Recommendations: Pan Yu Lin潘玉麟糖粥, Zhuo Lin Li拙林里糖粥(平江路店), Xiangxin Food Store祥鑫饮食店, and Da Niang Niang大孃孃苏式糖水

As its name suggests, zongzi-shaped candy is shaped like the iconic Chinese zongzi, a pyramidal glutinous rice dumpling. The candy is hard and transparent with a gloss. You can clearly see roses and pine nuts evenly placed in it.

The sesame crispy candy is made of white sesame, white sugar, a small amount of wheat flour or rice flour, and maltose. It is sweet, crisp, and fragrant, suitable for the old and the young.

Recommendation: Cai Zhi Zhai采芝斋(胥江路店)

The local bubble tea contains many seasonal ingredients, including Biluochun tea in spring, smoked plums and mung beans in summer, gorgon fruits, chestnuts, and osmanthus flowers in autumn, among others.

Recommendations: Benjiu BonjourBONJOUR本就(苏州十全街店), HONGLOUHONGLOU红楼果汁铺(十全街店), Wutong Laolao梧桐姥姥(寒山寺店), and Qing Nian Chun青年春(碧螺春奶茶·双塔市集创始店)

Source: Suzhou Tourist Information Center
Source：iSzhou