Dezhou's culinary identity is inseparable from its braised chicken. The Dezhou Braised Chicken stalls and restaurants around the central market are the obvious first stop. Beyond the chicken, Dezhou shares in Shandong's tradition of wheat-based foods — thick hand-cut noodles, stuffed buns, and large flatbreads — and the city's position on the old Grand Canal means it has a secondary tradition of freshwater fish dishes.