Jiangxi cuisine (Gancai) is unapologetically spicy, with a love of cured pork, wild greens, and slow-simmered earthen-pot soups.
必吃招牌菜 — Signature Dishes
No.1 南昌三杯鸡 — Nanchang Three-Cup Chicken
口味 · 南昌三杯鸡：南昌三杯鸡是赣菜中的经典禽类佳肴，与台湾三杯鸡不同，南昌三杯鸡不加九层塔，且烹饪时不加一滴水。其精髓在于“三杯”：一杯茶油（或猪油）、一杯酿造米酒、一杯优质酱油。鸡肉在密闭的砂锅中被这三杯调料慢火煨熟，色泽红亮，肉质酥嫩，酒香与酱香完美交融，入口醇厚而不腻，展现了南昌人对火候和调味的极致追求。
Nanchang Three-Cup Chicken is a classic poultry dish in Gan cuisine. Unlike its Taiwanese counterpart, the Nanchang version does not use Thai basil and adds not a single drop of water. Its essence lies in the 'three cups': one cup of tea oil (or lard), one cup of brewed rice wine, and one cup of premium soy sauce. The chicken is slow-braised in a sealed clay pot with these three ingredients. The result is a vibrant red dish with tender meat, where the wine and soy sauce aromas intertwine perfectly. It is rich, mellow, and not greasy, showcasing Nanchang people's ultimate pursuit of heat control and seasoning.
历史典故 · History：相传南宋末年，文天祥抗元被俘，南昌百姓为其送行。一位狱卒带着鸡肉、米酒和酱油去探监，因条件简陋，便用一杯米酒、一杯酱油和一杯茶油（或猪油）将鸡肉焖熟，以此祭奠。文天祥就义后，这道菜在民间流传开来。清代袁枚的《随园食单》中虽未直接收录此名，但南昌民间烹制“三杯”之法已有数百年历史，是南昌老字号餐馆的镇店之宝。
Legend traces back to the late Southern Song Dynasty when Wen Tianxiang, a national hero, was captured by the Yuan army. Nanchang locals went to visit him. A jailer brought chicken, rice wine, and soy sauce, but due to poor conditions, he braised the chicken with one cup of rice wine, one cup of soy sauce, and one cup of tea oil (or lard) as a tribute. After Wen's martyrdom, the dish spread among the people. Although not directly recorded in Yuan Mei's 'Suiyuan Shidan' in the Qing Dynasty, the 'three-cup' cooking method has existed in Nanchang folk cuisine for hundreds of years, serving as the signature dish of time-honored local restaurants.
食材与做法 · How it's made：1. 选用鲜嫩三黄鸡一只，处理干净后剁成小块，用冷水浸泡去血水，捞出沥干水分备用。
2. 砂锅底部铺上葱段和姜片，防止粘锅并增加底香，将沥干的鸡块平铺在葱姜之上。
3. 依次倒入一杯茶油（或猪油）、一杯南昌本地酿造米酒和一杯优质酱油，确保液体刚好没过鸡肉的三分之二。
4. 盖上砂锅盖，先用大火将汤汁烧开，然后转微小火，密封焖煮约30至40分钟。
5. 期间不可开盖，让鸡肉在“三杯”调料的蒸汽和沸腾中充分吸收滋味，直至汤汁浓稠、鸡肉酥烂。
6. 开盖后转大火收汁，待汤汁浓亮包裹在鸡块上时，挑去葱姜，淋入少许明油增亮，即可原锅上桌。
在哪吃 · Where to try：南昌本地菜馆。人均 50–100 元(参考)。
Available at well-rated local restaurants and time-honored shops; prices vary by venue and season (reference).
No.2 南昌瓦罐煨汤 — Nanchang Earthen Jar Slow-Simmered Soup
口味 · 南昌瓦罐煨汤：“一碗瓦罐汤，半部南昌史”。南昌瓦罐煨汤是南昌人早餐和日常饮食的灵魂。它采用特制的巨型瓦缸为容器，内部放置众多小瓦罐，以硬质木炭为燃料，经过数小时文火慢煨。汤品不加任何复杂香料，仅凭食材本味与水的交融，达到汤清不腻、稠而不油、鲜香醇厚的境界。肉饼汤是最经典的口味，肉香与原汁完美融合，暖胃更暖心。
'A bowl of earthen jar soup is half the history of Nanchang.' This soup is the soul of Nanchang people's breakfast and daily diet. It uses specially made giant earthen jars as containers, with numerous small jars placed inside, simmered over hard charcoal for hours. No complex spices are added; it relies solely on the natural flavors of the ingredients and water, achieving a clear, non-greasy, thick but not oily, and richly savory taste. The minced pork patty soup is the most classic variant, where the meat aroma perfectly blends with the original juice, warming both the stomach and the heart.
历史典故 · History：瓦罐煨汤的历史可追溯至北宋时期，据传与南昌滕王阁的修建有关。当时工匠们为了在繁重的劳作中补充体力，用瓦罐盛食材置于火堆中煨烤，意外发现汤汁异常鲜美。清代《南昌府志》中有关于民间用瓦罐煨汤的记载。到了近现代，南昌街头巷尾的“瓦罐汤店”成为城市独特的风景线，2011年南昌瓦罐汤制作技艺被列入江西省非物质文化遗产名录。
The history of earthen jar soup can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty, reportedly related to the construction of Nanchang's Tengwang Pavilion. To replenish their energy during hard labor, workers placed ingredients in earthen jars and roasted them over fires, accidentally discovering the exceptionally delicious broth. The 'Nanchang Prefecture Annals' of the Qing Dynasty documented the folk practice of simmering soup in earthen jars. In modern times, 'earthen jar soup shops' in the streets and alleys of Nanchang have become a unique urban landscape, and in 2011, the making technique of Nanchang earthen jar soup was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Jiangxi Province.
食材与做法 · How it's made：1. 选用肥瘦相间的猪前腿肉，手工剁成细腻的肉泥，加入少许姜末、葱花、盐和微量胡椒粉，顺一个方向搅拌上劲。
2. 将调好的肉泥放入小瓦罐底部，用勺子压实，制成厚度均匀的肉饼，中间可用筷子戳几个小孔以便汤汁渗入。
3. 在肉饼上方加入适量清水，水量以八分满为宜，滴入两滴料酒去腥，切忌加入味精等人工提鲜调料。
4. 将装好食材的小瓦罐加盖，整齐地码放在特制的巨型瓦缸内部的中层铁网上。
5. 在瓦缸底部点燃硬质木炭，控制火候，以文火恒温煨制4至6小时，使食材的营养和鲜味彻底释放入汤中。
6. 煨好后，用专用铁钩将小瓦罐取出，揭开盖子，汤色清亮，肉香扑鼻，撒上少许葱花即可直接饮用。
在哪吃 · Where to try：南昌煨汤馆与早餐档。一份 15–30 元(参考)。
Available at well-rated local restaurants and time-honored shops; prices vary by venue and season (reference).
No.3 藜蒿炒腊肉 — Stir-fried Cured Pork with Artemisia Grass
口味 · 藜蒿炒腊肉：南昌人常说“鄱阳湖的草，南昌人的宝”。藜蒿是鄱阳湖水域特产的一种野生水草，带有独特的清香。与农家自制、经柏枝熏烤的腊肉同炒，腊肉的油脂渗入藜蒿，藜蒿的清香化解了腊肉的油腻。成菜色泽金黄，口感脆嫩，咸鲜中带着浓郁的春意，是赣菜中“原汁原味”的绝佳体现。
In Nanchang, there is a saying: 'The grass of Poyang Lake is the treasure of Nanchang people.' Artemisia grass is a unique wild aquatic plant from the Poyang Lake area, carrying a distinct, refreshing fragrance. When stir-fried with homemade cured pork smoked over cypress branches, the rich fat of the pork permeates the grass, while the grass's aroma cuts through the greasiness. The dish boasts a golden hue and a crisp, tender texture, offering a savory taste filled with the essence of spring, perfectly embodying the 'authentic and original flavors' of Gan cuisine.
历史典故 · History：藜蒿炒腊肉起源于鄱阳湖沿岸的渔民生活。相传明代朱元璋与陈友谅在鄱阳湖大战时，军粮匮乏，渔民以湖中野生藜蒿和家中腊肉充饥，意外发现二者同炒异常鲜美。清代《南昌县志》中已有对藜蒿的记载，民国时期逐渐成为南昌酒楼的名菜，如今更是赣菜走向全国的代表作之一。
This dish originated from the daily lives of fishermen along Poyang Lake. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang fought a fierce battle on the lake, military rations were scarce. Fishermen fed the troops with wild artemisia grass from the lake and their own cured pork, accidentally discovering the exquisite combination. Artemisia grass was documented in the 'Nanchang County Annals' during the Qing Dynasty. By the Republic of China era, it had become a signature dish in Nanchang restaurants and is now one of the most representative dishes of Gan cuisine nationwide.
食材与做法 · How it's made：1. 将新鲜藜蒿择去老根，洗净后切成寸段；腊肉用温水洗净表面烟熏杂质，切成薄片备用。
2. 锅中加少许底油，下入腊肉片，用中小火慢慢煸炒，直至腊肉出油、边缘微卷呈金黄色。
3. 将煸出的多余猪油盛出，锅中仅留少许底油，下入姜丝、干红椒段爆香。
4. 转大火，迅速倒入切好的藜蒿段，快速翻炒均匀，使藜蒿均匀裹上腊肉的油脂。
5. 沿锅边烹入少许料酒去腥增香，加入微量生抽提鲜，因腊肉本身有咸味，通常无需额外加盐。
6. 翻炒至藜蒿断生且保持脆嫩时，撒入少许鸡精，滴入几滴香油，翻匀后即可出锅装盘。
在哪吃 · Where to try：南昌初春时令，赣菜馆皆宜。人均 60–100 元(参考)。
Available at well-rated local restaurants and time-honored shops; prices vary by venue and season (reference).
推荐菜馆 — Where Local Foodies Go
南昌民间饭庄 — Minjian Fanzhuang
南昌本地赣菜老馆子。
Local Nanchang Gancai restaurant.
饮食贴士 — Dining Tips
江西菜偏辣偏咸，点藜蒿炒腊肉看时令；瓦罐煨汤清润，宜配辣菜。人均 50–120 元(参考)。
Spring is the best time for wild 'lihao' (Tarragon) with cured pork; the earthen-pot soup is a slow-simmered comfort to savor.
一方水土养一方味。
江西·南昌 这几道代表性美食,藏着最地道的人间烟火。
来 Jiangxi,从这一碗一盘开始,吃懂这片土地。