Hot Spot

SMALL TREATS Nanjing, unlike many Chinese cities, doesn't boast about its tasty snacks. While Shanghainese love to brag about their steamed pork buns and Beijingers crow about their boiled dumplings, Nanjing keeps its particular brand of xiao chi, or little snacks, under wraps. The best way to sample Nanjing's unsung delectables at their most authentic is to join the early morning crowds in the Wenchang Xiang neighborhood, a few blocks from People's Square. You'll find dozens of dexterous cooks already up and kneading, shaping, frying and baking all manner of snacks.

One of my favorites is jianbing, or fried pancake. Crepe batter and an egg are expertly fried on a cast-iron hot plate. Then the pancake is sprinkled with a variety of pickled vegetables, slivered seaweed, hot sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame seeds. Finally, working with callused heat-resistant fingers, the chef wraps the whole steaming concoction around a crispy strip of fried dough. It's heavenly.

But Nanjing's best kept secret is its crayfish, a freshwater crustacean that resembles a tiny lobster. Although stir-fried whole crayfish can be found in other cities, Nanjing's rich, savory version is unrivaled. They are spicy but not overly fiery, richly flavored but still fresh-tasting. Crayfish are messy to eat, however, so bring a stack of napkins. Then, as delicately as possible, bite off the head and tear open the shell. The snack is hugely popular: vendors sell it from large cast-iron woks on the street, takeout places offer it by the tray, and dozens of restaurants have red crayfish stickers on their windows.

And the vendors go all night long. If you get the munchies at 2 a.m., make your way to Yanggong Jin (Yanggong Alley), a narrow lane lined with crayfish restaurants. You'll know you're there when you see the bright red shells littering the curb all the way down the street.