Cuisine of Nuzhen

The cuisine of Nuzhen is based primarily on traditional Northeastern Chinese cuisine (東北菜), with noticable Russian and Mongol influence. It relies heavily on preserved foods and a variety of red meats and game due to the harsh winters and relatively short growing seasons. Preserving vegetables is common, and pickled cabbage is traditionally made by most households in giant clay pickling vats. Noodles and wheat-based steamed buns tend to be the most common form of starch rather than rice.

Popular dishes: pork and chive dumplings - Dumplings flavored with garlic and chives in a thick flour dumpling. Served boiled, steamed, or pan-fried.
mutton hot pot with suancai - A fondue-style dish made by dipping think slices of mutton into a clear broth.
beef stew with noodles - A hearty stew made of beef, daikon, carrots, and five-spice powder, with added noodles
cumin & caraway lamb - grilled lamb flavored with cumin and caraway
tealeaf stewed hardboiled eggs - chicken eggs soft boiled in plain water, then re-cooked in tea
porridge with preserved mustard root - a porridge
lamb gigot - This is a shank of lamb that has been first cooked in a highly spiced sauce, then deep fried before fragrant oil is poured over it.

Strong distilled spirits such as maotai are very popular among the Han Chinese, while Vodka is popular among the Russian minority.