Suqian's cooking is centred on its lakes: freshwater crab from Hongze, crayfish (xiaolongxia) in summer, and a range of fish preparations that reflect the productive wetland ecosystem to the city's south and east. Suqian is also one of China's major baijiu producers, and the local food culture accommodates serious drinking — the pairing of strong spirits with rich freshwater fish dishes is very much the local way of eating.