Jiangxi cuisine (赣菜) is one of China's less internationally known regional food traditions — which in a country where Sichuan and Cantonese dominate the conversation is not a low bar. The defining characteristics are dried chilli peppers used with restraint compared to Sichuan but with more frequency than most eastern Chinese cuisines; heavy use of freshwater fish and river crab; and a preference for steaming over stir-frying that produces clean, clear flavors.
Signature dishes worth ordering in Nanchang include: twice-cooked pork with dried peppers (小炒肉), steamed mandarin fish with vinegar and ginger (清蒸鲥鱼 when in season), pork ribs braised with preserved vegetables (梅菜扣肉), and the soup of winter melon with ham that appears on every restaurant menu in the city. The cluster of restaurants around the Wanshou Palace area and near Shengjin Tower serve consistently good versions of these dishes. Lunch sets at local restaurants run from 25 yuan per person upward.