Shanghai food is mostly based on crab, fish, chicken and eel, which are normally eaten along with spirits. Preserved vegetables and salted meats are normally used as add-ons to enhance the flavor of the dishes. Seafood is the prime specialty of the cuisine of Shanghai as the city is situated near Chinese coast in east of China, and is positioned at Yangtze River’s mouth.
Commonly Used Ingredients in Shanghai Cuisine
Sugar is extensively used in the cuisine of Shanghai, especially when blended with soy-sauce.
Cooking Methods Adopted in Shanghai Cuisine
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The commonly used cooking methods in the cuisine of Shanghai consist of brisk cooking or steaming. At times the food is also served raw.
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The stewing process of preparing vegetables and meats in Shanghai is also very common, where the method is popularly known as "Red cooking" style.
Popular Foods of Shanghai
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Sweet and sour spare ribs– this is the specialty Shanghai food item, where ribs are prepared with the use of sugar and soy sauce.
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Jiaohua ji– this is a popular chicken dish of the cuisine of Shanghai, where chicken is wrapped in leaves of lotus and covered with clay, with the dish normally prepared in oven; however historically the dish was cooked on ground.
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Lion’s head meatball– meatball prepared from ground meat, which is rolled in the form of a small sized ball with several other ingredients like minced onions, breadcrumbs, eggs and spices.
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Shanghaicrispy chicken- a shanghai food item which is prepared by first boiling the chicken and then roasting it for a long time until it becomes crispy and dry.
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Nian gao– it refers to a Chinese new year cake made up of glutinous rice. In Shangahi, this cake is typically packaged in soft and thick rod which is then stir fried either sliced or un-sliced. The sliced cake pieces can also be used in soups.
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Shanghai fried noodles- this is a regional specialty of the cuisine of shanghai, which is prepared with the help of Shanghai style noodles.
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Stinky tofu– it is a kind of fermented tofu (coagulated soy milk), which is consumed popularly in the form of snack.
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Seafood- seafood is the main Shanghai food item, which is available in abundance in the city due to its geographical location, where freshwater fish and saltwater fish such as seaweed, oysters and crabs are hugely popular, with Shanghai hairy crab being the major local delight.
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Thousand-year eggs– these refer to preserved eggs which are flavored with garlic and lemon; a regional specialty of Shanghai.
Serving suggestions
It is suggested to serve the Shanghai food in very small proportions as the native people have the habit of eating food in delicate and small portions.