Jiangxi and Hunan cuisines, are known for being of the worst in China. Mao Zedong was always a great protagonist of the province's dining, happily tucking in to a meal of pig knuckles and spicy pork in an oily sauce. Thankfully, Nanchang has managed to strike away from the worst of these styles, while retaining a local spicy flavour that is interesting, although not in the hotter summer months. There is also a lot of variety in the city, with masses of local street food counterbalanced by more upper class restaurants, especially in the hotels. Fresh river food and dumplings are the most popular of the simple and cheap local food.

The best food areas here are along Xiangshan beilu, for fish, and around the railway station, for cheap snacks and fast food. Jiangxi food is best tried in the upmarket Wenxuan Restaurant (Wenxuan jiulou), also on Xiangshan lu, or in many of the local hotels. For western food, the Gloria Plaza and the Jiangxi Hotel both have western restaurants, although the Steakhouse, on Minde lu near the intersection with Supu lu, is the best for taste. Wang's Hotpot Restaurant (Hunan wang caiguan) serves spicy bowls of this Chinese specialty.