Breakfast in China’s Venice: Beef Buns, Victory Cakes & Canal Views

Breakfast in China’s Venice: Beef Buns, Victory Cakes & Canal Views

Hi everyone, I’m Lee. Welcome to Suzhou — a beautiful water town in the Jiangnan region of China. There’s a one-of-a-kind local market here, so let’s take a walk together and explore what makes it so special. In ancient times, people traveled mainly by boat, which is why the streets are relatively narrow. This old market isn’t a traditional one — it’s something the local residents creatively built themselves. It used to be just a narrow alley, but people turned their corridors, kitchens, living rooms, and even windows into small stalls forming a truly unique market. Here, you can find stalls inside kitchens, along passageways, in living rooms, and even in old bathing rooms. And of course, there’s plenty of local food to discover — let’s take a look together. Me: What’s this?
Vendor: Radish fritters.
Me: How much for one?
Vendor: Three yuan each. This crispy radish pastry is a taste of winter comfort in Suzhou. Layers of flaky dough wrap tender shredded radish—simple ingredients turned into something heartwarming by patient hands. In Suzhou, hairy crab is more than food—it’s a quiet ceremony of autumn. Locals follow the lunar calendar: female crabs in the ninth month for their golden, rich roe, and male crabs in the tenth for their silky white paste. Steaming is the classic way, enjoyed with a ginger-spiked vinegar dip. The tradition even comes with a set of elegant Ming-dynasty tools made just for opening every part of the crab. And when you’re done, people warm up with ginger tea and a small cup of huangjiu sometimes even fitting the empty shell back together—just to honor the ritual. Youmianjin is a special soy-based treat from Jiangnan. The gluten is deep-fried into crispy, hollow balls, then often filled with meat or veggies—what locals call ‘gluten-stuffed meat.’ Me: What’s this?
Grandma: Fried gluten balls.
Me: Ready to eat or half-finished?
Grandma: Stuff some meat inside and boil it—then it’s ready. Each morning, this little kitchen transforms into a vegetable stall. By midday, everything is cleared away, and it turns back into a family kitchen for cooking and making porridge. In Suzhou, sticky rice dumplings aren’t just for festivals. Wrapped in bamboo leaves and filled with savory pork, they carry both ancient legend and everyday comfort. Me: What’s this?
Vendor: Spring-roll wrappers.
Me: Ready to eat or half-finished?
Vendor: You need to wrap veggies or fillings to eat them. Vendor: This is a Suzhou specialty. Me: So you just spread some batter and it’s done?
Vendor: Just spread some batter? You’re making it sound too easy, haha. Me: Is this made with wheat flour?
Vendor: Yes. Me: It’s so thin—almost transparent.
Vendor: It has to be thin so it gets crispy when fried. Me: You still need to fry it again at home?
Vendor: Fill it first, then fry it. Vendor: Not many people eat spring rolls now, but later there’ll be more. Me: So it’s a seasonal food?
Vendor: Yes, during New Year every household makes spring rolls. Me: What’s this?
Lady: Egg dumplings.
Me: Can I buy a few to try?
Lady: These aren’t ready to eat—they’re for soup.
Me: Got it, so they’re half-finished. Me: How much is this?
Vendor: Two and a half yuan for a pair. So good—soft and fluffy. Me: How much are these?
Vendor: Small ones are 1.5 yuan, big ones are 3 yuan.
Me: I’ll take two small ones. Vendor: Sweet or savory?
Me: One of each. Me: I’ll take one beef fire-shaobing.
Vendor: Sure. Me: Judging from the name, this pastry must have a long history.
Vendor: Every region makes its *Dingsheng Cake* differently. This isn’t a modern pastry. It dates back to the Song Dynasty, over 700 years ago. During the Southern Song period, locals made it for General Han Shizhong’s troops, stamping each cake with the characters ‘Ding Sheng’—meaning ‘Certain Victory’—to boost morale. Today, this historic treat is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in China. Made mainly from glutinous and non-glutinous rice, with red yeast and sugar, this cake has a light reddish color, a soft and fluffy texture, and a subtly sweet flavor with hints of red bean paste. Me: Amazing.
Vendor: Good thing it didn’t fail—otherwise you’d laugh at me, haha. Ten minutes in the steamer, and it’s all done. Me: What kind of pastry is this?
Vendor: Osmanthus mung bean cake. And now, let’s wrap up with a visit to the small riverside market. Located in southern China, Suzhou gets plenty of rainfall and is crisscrossed by rivers and canals. Here, waterways are more than just rivers — they were once the main routes for transportation. This is a small riverside market. Most of the vendors here aren’t professionals — they’re local residents selling vegetables grown in their own gardens. So, the variety isn’t huge, and the produce doesn’t look as polished as what you’d find in a supermarket. This is wild rice stem, a water-grown vegetable that looks a bit like young bamboo shoots. It’s crisp, juicy, and usually harvested in summer and autumn — a true seasonal ingredient from the Jiangnan region.

Welcome to the “Venice of the East” – A Hidden Morning Market Tour
Today, we are transporting you to the ancient water town of Suzhou, China. Often compared to Venice due to its intricate network of misty canals and stone bridges, this city offers a glimpse into a lifestyle that has remained unchanged for centuries. Imagine white-walled houses with black tile roofs, reflecting beautifully in the quiet river as the city wakes up.
In these narrow, cobblestone alleys, there is no separation between “home” and “market.” As you’ll see in the video, a private kitchen turns into a bustling stall with just one open window. Locals live right beside the water—sleeping to its sound, cooking over it, and serving steaming hot breakfast to neighbors passing by.

In this video, we taste authentic local specialties including:
🥟 Pan-Fried Beef Buns : Crispy on the bottom, juicy inside.
🥡 Radish Fritters : A crunchy, savory street snack.
🌾 Dingsheng Cakes (Victory Cakes): Fluffy, pink rice cakes with a sweet history.
🥣 Oily Gluten Puffs: Large, golden fried spheres often used in soups.
🍃 Zongzi: Traditional sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds of a real Chinese morning.

00:00 Highlights
00:33 Intro
01:13 Radish Fritters
04:01 Oily Gluten Puffs
05:08 Rice dumpling
06:58 Spring roll wrapper
08:57 Egg dumpling
10:33 Rice cake
16:03 Flaky pastry
19:10 Pan-fried beef bun
20:55 Dingsheng Cakes (Victory Cakes)
25:19 Red rice cake
26:30 Sugar-roasted chestnut
27:10 Marinated duck

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