As an important offshoot of Zhejiang Cuisine, Ningbo Cuisine, utilizing various cooking techniques like frying, braising and steaming, is famous for its softness and the original taste and flavor of food. Lying near the sea, Ningbo has access to abundant sea products. Hence, seafood, especially fish, is preferred in the local cuisine. Many of the ten famous dishes of Ningbo are made of sea food:

Bingtang Jiayu (Steamed Turtle in Crystal Sugar Soup) takes first place in the ten famous Ningbo dishes. The bright golden color easily arouses ones appetite. It is both sweet and salty with a strong fragrance. In addition to being delicious, it also boasts of being rich in protein, iodine and vitamin B.

Braised Eel is cooked with fresh river eel. The prepared eel is first braised until the skin turns transparent. Then the flesh, with bones carefully removed, is cooked in a brown sauce. The result is tender and juicy and has a lovely bright color. This dish is a veritable tonic of calcium and vitamins.

Bean Curd Skin Roll with Yellow Croaker is very popular in Ningbo. Each roll is cut into small pieces and deep-fried. The bean curd skin is quite crisp while the yellow croaker inside is very tender. The vinegar sauce gives it a special flavor.

Others like Fried Eel, Braised Yellow Croaker with Pickled Potherb Mustard, and Fish with Seaweed are also made with the bounty of the sea.

In addition to these famous dishes, Ningbo also boasts many delicate and delicious noshes. The most famous one is Ningbo Rice Glue Ball (Stuffed Dumpling Ball). The skin of the dumpling ball is made of fine glutinous rice power so that it is quite soft and smooth. The common stuffing is made of lard, fine sugar and black sesame. The stuffing can also be made of ham or lean meat. The various stuffings offer different tastes like sweet or salt with a distinctive aroma. Authentic Ningbo stuffed dumpling balls are there for you to enjoy at Gangyagou Rice Glue Ball Restaurant at No.7 Xianxue Street, Haishu District, Ningbo City.

 Recommended Restaurants:
The authentic Ningbo Cuisine, especially seafood, can be found at:

Sunward Fishery Restaurants
Caihong location:
Address: No.236, Caihong Road, Jiangdong District
Bus Routes: 10,804,820,360,367,514,506,560
Zhongxin location:
Address: No.977, Yinzhou Road, Yinzhou District
Bus Routes: 108,103,359,361,513,109,116,105,116-1,623,627

Shipu Restaurant
Tianyi location (New Shipu Restaurant)
Address: No.298, Kaiming Street, Haishu District
Bus Routes:
2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 19 , 518, 506 ,517 ,215 ,216, 331, 350, 503, 504, 515 ,517 ,521 , 528 , 804 , 821
Moon Lake location
Address: No.60, Yanyue Street, Haishu District
Bus Routes: 9,357,16,20,214,302,330,354,503,507,506,550,560,560-1,821

Vegetarian Food:
Ningbo Jujubetree Vegetarian Restaurant
Address: No.16 Liuting Street, Haishu District
Opening Hour: lunch time: 11:00~14:00
Dinner time: 17:00~21:30
Tips: 1.This is a non- smoking restaurant;
2. You must place your order before 21:00 each day.
Bus Routes: 506, 507, 812, 820, 821, 906, 517, 516, 357, 7, 9, 20, 809, 19, 330