Delicious Delicacies at Tianmu Lake: Mountain Treasures from the Bamboo Sea

Nanshan Bamboo Sea lies at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui Provinces, boasting tens of thousands of mu of bamboo forests and abundant natural produce. Covered in bamboo from hilltop to valley, the area is famed for a wide array of bamboo-themed dishes collectively known as the Whole Bamboo Feast.

This feast features dishes made from bamboo shoots, bamboo fungus eggs, bamboo fungus, wild bamboo mushrooms, bamboo-cured bacon, tofu pudding steamed in bamboo tubes, rice cooked in bamboo tubes, bamboo fungus wine, pickled bamboo shoots and more. Every course on the table features bamboo—no feast here is complete without it, offering a stunning feast for the eyes that whets every appetite. The Whole Bamboo Feast includes over 100 dishes across more than ten categories, all directly or indirectly made from bamboo. Every part of the plant is fully utilized: underground fungi around bamboo roots, tender bamboo shoots, bamboo stalks, and even bamboo leaves and branches. The dishes are light, mellow, crisp and tender, utterly mouth-watering.

Bamboo fungus, hailed as the king of mountain delicacies, is rich in essential amino acids and serves as an effective natural anti-cancer ingredient, beloved by visitors from all over the country. Each category in the Whole Bamboo Feast can be prepared via diverse cooking techniques tailored to chefs’ skills and diners’ preferences: braising, stewing, stir-frying, roasting, steaming, casserole simmering, braising in thick sauce, cold mixing and more.

In addition, Nanshan Bamboo Sea produces fragrant Nanshan chestnuts, formally named pearl chestnuts. They are well-known for thin shells, large plump kernels, glossy reddish-brown skin and sweet delicate flesh. Other local specialties include Zhuze air-dried goose and Zhoucheng mutton hot pot.

A local Liyang poem perfectly sums up the region’s abundant food: Maojian tea, red peaches, Tangxia melons,

Yellow sparrows, black carps, white-shelled shrimp,

Crab roe buns and duck noodles stand divine,

Celery, winter bamboo shoots and chive sprouts fine.

Now one more gem adorns the feast sublime—

Casserole fish head wins universal praise each time.

Bamboo partridges inhabit mountainous regions south of the Yangtze River, dwelling in hillside thickets and bamboo groves. They excel at hiding, fly swiftly yet low to the ground, and are active at dawn before roosting on bamboo stalks at dusk—hence their name. Stewed with premium wild mountain fungi, this dish strengthens the body, prolongs lifespan, replenishes energy, regulates and boosts immunity, and delivers anti-cancer benefits. It is especially recommended after hot spring bathing.

This premium soup is slowly simmered with high-grade seafood including abalone and dried scallops, paired with rare mountain delicacies such as morel mushrooms. It nourishes the intestines and stomach, tonifies the kidney to invigorate yang, boosts brain vitality, and dispels internal cold, ideal for regaining strength after soaking in hot springs.

Ox penis has long been regarded as a premium nourishing tonic. Stewed with local bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, this dish replenishes blood, nourishes the liver, tonifies the kidney and vital essence, invigorates yang, and chases away cold, making it an essential nourishing delicacy for men.

Unlike natural cordyceps, cordyceps flowers have no worm body, only orange or yellow floral stalks, yet offer similar therapeutic effects. Simmered with wild pigeon, they tonify qi and relieve deficiency, nourish the kidney and protect the liver, fight oxidation and delay aging, perfect to enjoy after hot spring sessions.

Modern medical research proves wild boar tripe contains abundant essential amino acids, vitamins and trace elements. It aids digestion and accelerates metabolism, and provides certain therapeutic relief for gastric hemorrhage, gastric ulcers, gastritis and intestinal ulcers. This soup tonifies qi and replenishes blood, calms the mind, protects the liver and stomach, and elevates immunity, particularly suitable for those suffering cold discomfort in the digestive tract.