In this paper, I examine the heritage of Huai-Yang cuisine. Specifically I use the taste (Double-T) approach in order to clarify the meaning of gastronomy in eighteenth-century Yangzhou. In eighteenth-century China, Yangzhou was a city known for its literary works authored chiefly by salt merchants and local literati who composed verses both to describe and to enjoy the characteristics of specific foodstuffs. The talk in food-related verses helped establish and then popularize the taste of Yangzhou's gastronomy. Thus, I argue that a focus on talk and taste is a useful approach to understanding the heritage of Huai-Yang cuisine.