Jiaxing boasts a time-honored culinary culture brimming with distinct Jiangnan charm, combining the characteristics of Hangzhou and Shanghai cuisines. Its traditional Jiangnan snacks boast unique flavors, including South Lake crabs, Wufangzhai Zongzi and Wenhu Braised Duck — all absolute must-tries.

The renowned Wufangzhai Zongzi Shop sits on Middle Jianguo Road at the intersection with Zhongshan Road. Despite its widespread fame, visitors need not worry about high prices, as the food here is extremely affordable. All snacks are self-selected before checkout. You can sample zongzi, wontons, siu mai and more for an average per-person cost of merely 10 RMB.

Crafted with elaborate techniques, savory meat zongzi uses premium glutinous rice, lean pork hindquarters and sun-dried Huizhou bamboo leaves. Sweet varieties feature top-grade "Big Red Robe" red beans. Triangular in shape, Jiaxing zongzi comes in dozens of flavors such as pork, red bean paste, salted egg yolk and eight-treasure fillings, earning it the nickname "Oriental Fast Food".

South Lake boat cuisine once enjoyed tremendous popularity. Pleasure boats of that era were equipped with kitchens in the rear cabins. Boat ladies demonstrated consummate cooking skills including stir-frying, quick searing, boiling, deep-frying, velveting, stewing and braising within the compact cabins. They prepared diverse fresh ingredients tailored for boat dining, ready to serve guests at any request. The highlight of South Lake boat cuisine lies in its exquisite craftsmanship, relying primarily on seasonal fresh aquatic specialties from South Lake such as fish, shrimp, crabs and eels, with strict emphasis on ultra-fresh raw materials and refined cooking techniques.

A famous Jiaxing specialty, South Lake water caltrops are round and hornless with tender flesh, also known as ingot caltrops, wonton caltrops or monk caltrops. Ordinary water caltrops grow sharp horns, hence their Chinese name "ling jiao (horned caltrop)", making the hornless South Lake variety a rare oddity.

Pinghu, a county under Jiaxing, is famous for preserved eggs fermented in rice wine mash, which were designated imperial tributes in ancient times. Pinghu preserved eggs are uniform in size. The fermented mash is brewed from high-quality glutinous rice through a complete set of procedures: rice soaking, steaming, starter blending, wine fermentation, disinfection and egg cleaning. Production begins around Pure Brightness Day each year; the eggs ferment through the rainy Huangmei season and sweltering three fu periods, hitting the market by the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Wuzhen marinated chicken uses free-range local hens raised by villagers within the same year. The whole chicken is simmered repeatedly in its original broth three times, then soaked and cooked in premium soy sauce, rice wine, white sugar and assorted spices. A coat of sesame oil is brushed over the chicken after it is taken out of the pot to finish the process. Repeated simmering in its native broth evaporates most moisture inside the chicken, giving it excellent storage stability. Locals say it "does not spoil in the sixth lunar month nor freeze solid in the twelfth lunar month".

Extremely strict standards govern ingredient selection for Wuzhen braised mutton: only young Hu sheep raised that year, locally called "huake sheep", qualify. This breed yields tender meat low in fat, with smooth thin skin and rich marrow. Common seasonings include radish, soy sauce, rice wine, red dates and rock sugar. A local Wuzhen folk saying goes: "A pot of winter mutton outvalues several catties of ginseng."

A waterside pavilion eatery featuring authentic rustic local dishes Signature Dishes: Steamed taro with cured pork, chrysanthemum chive egg pancakes, loaches braised with preserved mustard greens Address: West side of God of Wealth Bay, East Scenic Zone of Wuzhen

This dish draws on the auspicious meaning of blending fish and lamb to create supreme umami. The two ingredients counteract each other’s unpleasant gamey odors, yielding an exceptionally unique fresh flavor. It uses local Wuzhen lake mutton and crucian carp from Chexi River, delivering strong regional characteristics.

Signature Dishes: Ziye Supreme Freshness, White Jade River Shrimp, Clay Pot Free-range Chicken, Braised Fish Head in Casserole Address: No.3 Ziye Road, Wuzhen

Wuzhen marinated chicken adopts free-range local hens raised by villagers that year as raw material. The whole chicken is braised in its original broth three times, then simmered with premium soy sauce, rice wine, white sugar and mixed spices. Sesame oil is brushed on the surface after cooking. As the local proverb states, it "does not go bad in the sixth lunar month and will not freeze in the twelfth lunar month".