A new restaurant will serve authentic fare from Jiangsu province in the country's capital, Li Yingxue reports.

Su cuisine was what Zhan Deping missed most after he left his hometown, Jiangsu province's Pizhou, at age 15. The gastronomic category from Jiangsu is one of China's "four major cuisines", a classification system developed in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and one of its "eight great cuisines".

Su cuisine is made up of jinling (Nanjing) cuisine, huaiyang (Huai'an and Yangzhou) cuisine, suxi (Suzhou and Wuxi) cuisine and xuhai (Xuzhou and Lianyungang) cuisine.

"Its diversity makes it special, "says Zhan, who co-founded the Subangyuan restaurant brand.

"It features sweet, fresh and salty flavors, and uses different techniques."

Zhan will open Subangyuan's fourth branch in Beijing in the coming Lunar New Year.

"Jiangsu is a large province on the map. It runs about 400 kilometers from north to south. So, dishes' flavors vary," he says.

"Xuhai cuisine is saltier and spicier. Jinling cuisine is salty and fresh. Huaiyang cuisine values ingredients' original flavors. And suxi cuisine is sweet."

Each cuisine features special ingredients and cooking methods.

Huaiyang has more soups and requires more sophisticated knifework. Jinling highlights roast duck. And suxi includes many stews.

Zhan invites chefs from all four places to present their best so that diners can sample a broad swath of su cuisine in one meal.

In the restaurant's name, Subangyuan, subang means su cuisine and yuan comes from the name of ancient poet, scholar, artist and gastronome Yuan Mei (1716-97), Zhan explains.

English food writer Fuchsia Dunlop describes Yuan as China's answer to famous French epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. Yuan is hailed as one of China's four classical gastronomes by English diplomat, sinologist and historian of China Endymion Wilkinson in his book, Chinese History: A Manual.

Yuan passed the highest imperial exams at age 23 and served as magistrate in four places in Jiangsu. The native of Zhejiang province's Hangzhou resigned from his job in 1748 and bought Suiyuan Garden, or the Garden of Contentment, in Nanjing. He spent his retirement there, meeting friends, eating delicacies and writing poems.

He spent 44 years learning about ingredients and wrote the book, Suiyuan Shidan (Recipes from the Garden of Contentment), which includes recipes of over 300 dishes.

Yuan wrote: "Whenever I've eaten well and have been inspired by a meal I've enjoyed at someone else's place, I'd later send my chef to them to write down the recipes and techniques."

Zhan says he hopes Subangyuan can absorb the spirit of Suiyuan Shidan.

"Yuan lived in Jiangsu for most of his life and also traveled extensively. So, most recipes in his book belong to su cuisine," Zhan says.

"We don't replicate all of his recipes. But it gives us hints as to su cuisine's most-delicious dishes."

The cuisine features a lot of aquaculture, since Jiangsu is known as "the land of fish and rice".

Subangyuan serves the "three whites of Taihu Lake"-tullibee, shrimp and whitebait. It only serves tullibee that weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 kilograms. It takes the whitefish at least three years to grow to this size.

The tullibee is marinated before it's steamed over chicken soup.

The whitebait have no scales, bones, intestines, swim bladders-or even a fishy smell. They're fried with scrambled eggs and chopped spring onions.

The shrimp is boiled before it's marinated in huadiao liquor. It becomes transparent like jade after the thin shell is peeled off.

The Yangtze River is also famous for three fresh ingredients-lake anchovies, globefish and hilsa herrings-used in su cuisine.

Liquor-preserved crab is a must-try. It requires meticulous preparation and is rich in roe.

The menu also features huaiyang cuisine's signature dishes, such as wensi tofu and boiled, shredded bean curd.

Zhan and his team have traveled throughout all of Jiangsu at least three times to taste, select and learn about new dishes.

He has upgraded the menu seven times since the first branch opened in 2015.

"From decor to tableware, we want to present the culture of su cuisine in traditional style with a modern twist," Zhan says.