Snacks on Dongguan Street | Must-Try Delicacies in Yangzhou Dongguan Street

Juxiangzhai on Dongguan Street is a well-established time-honored shop. Its tofu pudding is widely popular, and its sesame cakes are equally outstanding. Locals also call these small pastries Huangqiao Sesame Cakes. Priced at just one or two yuan each, they come in various fillings including pork floss, beef, ham, sweet osmanthus and red bean paste. A bowl of tofu pudding paired with a sesame cake makes a simple yet delightful treat.

The name "Stacked Glutinous Rice Balls" derives from its unique making method. The rice balls are repeatedly rolled and stacked in a basket to create a chewy outer skin. Its signature dish is Four-Joy Glutinous Rice Balls, a specialty rarely found outside Yangzhou. They combine four fillings: greens, minced meat, sesame paste and red bean paste, with sweet and savory flavors evenly mixed. It is a must-try for glutinous rice ball lovers.

Founded in the Qing Dynasty, Da Qilin Ge is a century-old store trusted by generations of Yangzhou locals. If you have tried diamond-shaped cakes mixed with rice flour drink at Quyuan Teahouse and loved it, do not miss their rice flour as a souvenir. As one of Yangzhou’s oldest tea snack shops, it has stood the test of time thanks to its irreplaceable flavors.

In Yangzhou, "long fish" refers to eel. A specialty of Baoying, eel noodles are served in two styles: noodles topped with stir-fried eel and eel soup noodles, both incredibly delicious. Run by a local couple from Fanshui Town, Baoying, the shop uses wild eels sourced directly from their hometown. They simmer the soup for six hours every day and prepare each bowl of noodles with great care. Renowned director Ying Da and actors Xie Yuan, Zhao Ning have dined here and left their signatures.

All snacks here are freshly made on site, with medicinal pastries being the star product. There is a wide selection, including sesame, walnut, red date, melon seed and peanut pastries. Made with an ancestral recipe, these pastries are crispy, nutritious and leave a lingering pleasant aftertaste. They were once featured on China Central Television. Warm pastries taste soft right out of the oven, and turn sweet and crisp once cooled down.

Osmanthus-flavored lotus root starch balls are shaped like pigeon eggs, with a reddish-brown color and soft, glutinous texture. They taste sweet and refreshing, usually filled with sesame and crushed peanuts that give off an inviting aroma. It is a classic traditional snack of Yangzhou. Several shops on Dongguan Street sell this treat, and Cu Cha Dan Fan is highly recommended.

This handmade ginger candy comes in eight flavors. Skillfully pulled during production, it is crispy with a strong authentic ginger taste, perfect for ginger lovers. Various flavored ginger teas are also available to warm your body and soothe your stomach.

Several distilleries on Dongguan Street sell handmade rice wine, and visitors can even watch the brewing process on site. The wine has a rich mellow aroma, mild alcohol taste and a subtle sweet note. In addition, Yangzhou's waxberry wine from Dongguan Street is an absolute delicacy.

A classic Huaiyang snack and a famous specialty of Gaoyou. The celebrated writer Wang Zengqi described it in his story Special Talent: The pork is stuffed into a reed bag about three inches long and one inch in diameter lined with tofu skin. Minced meat mixed with starch fills the bag, which is then sealed and tied in the middle with hemp rope to form a gourd shape. After being fully cooked, the pork retains the gourd shape with reed patterns on its surface, and tastes wonderful when sliced.

Founded on Dongguan Street in 2012, Panda Zhang boasts a distinctive name. It specializes in handmade yogurt cheese with a pure, rich texture, run by a creative post-90s owner. The yogurt comes in multiple flavors: original, rose, caramel, hazelnut and lychee.