While my dish was made with duck rather than chicken, I also tried the dish with chicken and had a similar experience. The salt and coldness of the meat paired well with a hot bowl of rice and made for a hearty meal. Kou shui ji was overall a healthier dish compared to other Chinese dishes I've had. The flavor profile is simple and reminds me of home-cooked dishes.
The chicken is first cooked either by steaming or boiling. After it has cooled off, it is soaked in a saltwater mix with other herbs or spices overnight and left in a refrigerator. It is then taken out and cut into small slices to be served cold. The same steps apply to cooking duck for this dish. Overall, it is a very simple dish to make.
Yes, this food is connected to the local environment. Nanjing is located in Jiangsu province. Jiangsu means "river plant." Nanjing and other cities in Jiangsu have many bodies of water including rivers and lakes, which means ducks are abundant. Although duck is a staple of much Chinese food, Nanjing has more dishes with duck meat than most other cities in China.
Another fun fact about this area is that the Yangtze River, the largest and longest river in China, also goes through the province. The Chinese name for it is aptly 长江 (chang jiang), meaning “long river.”
