History

Yanduxian began as a rural dish in Anhui province, part of the Jiangnan region south of the lower Yangtze, and travelled into Shanghai home cooking as people and recipes moved between the two. One local story credits the Qing general Zuo Zongtang with the name: his accent turned yandunxian into yanduxian when he introduced the dish to the city, and the name held. Yan refers to the salted pork, du is the gentle bubbling sound of the pot on a low simmer, and xian is the fresh pork belly and bamboo shoots that finish the broth.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hr 45 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 300g salted pork belly (or bacon as a substitute), cut into chunks
  • 300g fresh pork belly, cut into chunks
  • 400g fresh bamboo shoots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2cm piece of ginger, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, tied in a knot
  • 1 star anise
  • 200g tofu knots, or firm tofu cut into strips
  • 1.5 litres water

Method

  1. Blanch the salted pork, fresh pork and bamboo shoots separately in boiling water for 3 minutes each, then drain and rinse to remove excess salt and scum.
  2. Heat a little oil in a heavy pot and fry the ginger, spring onion and star anise until fragrant.
  3. Add the salted pork and stir briefly, then add the fresh pork and bamboo shoots and stir to coat in the aromatics.
  4. Pour in the water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for at least 1 hour until the broth turns milky and the meat is tender.
  5. Add the tofu knots for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
  6. Taste before adding salt; the salted pork usually seasons the broth on its own.

Tip from the editors. Use bacon in place of salted pork out of season, but rinse it well first or the broth will turn out too salty.

Where to eat yanduxian (spring pork and bamboo shoot soup)

Yanduxian (spring pork and bamboo shoot soup) in Shanghai

Lan Xin (Lyceum) ★ 3.9

¥ ShanghaineseFrench Concession

Lan Xin, known locally as Lyceum Restaurant, on quiet Jinxian Road in central Shanghai holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for wok-braised red pork belly.

OrderOrder the red-braised pork belly, reduced sauce, soft but firm texture.

TipIt holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and does not take reservations, so queues are common; go outside lunch and dinner peaks.

Directions

Lao Zheng Xing ★ 4.1

¥¥ ShanghainesePeoples Square

Lao Zheng Xing on Fuzhou Road in Shanghai has held a Michelin star for nine straight years, serving clay-pot yanduxian with bamboo shoots and pork.

OrderYanduxian, the clay-pot spring soup of salted pork, fresh pork belly and bamboo shoots.

TipFounded in 1862 and at this address since 1997, it now fills several floors; try the yellow croaker in wine lees sauce too.

Directions

All Shanghai signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want yanduxian (spring pork and bamboo shoot soup) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →