A LOCAL’S GUIDE TO FOOD IN SHANGHAI

Imagine cooking for 24 million people. This is exactly what Shanghai does every single day, and by looking at the growing population and visitors to one of the world’s largest cities, she must be doing something right with the food in Shanghai. After all, no one stays anywhere too long if the food is terrible.To get more news about shanghai cuisine, you can visit shine news official website.

Shanghai is a place where the past, present, and future effortlessly intertwine. This manifests in the culture, architecture, fashion, and exciting Shanghai food scene. All of this makes Shanghai one of the best places to visit in China. Like everywhere we go, we believe that the best and fastest way to connect with the culture of the city is to tuck into its food. And man, are you in for a culinary treat when eating Shanghai Chinese food.

Shanghai is the Chinese dream. People from all corners of China dream of coming to Shanghai to make it big. They arrive with stars in their eyes, big dreams, and of course their pots, pans, and family recipes. That’s not only true for the Chinese, but also for foreigners coming to the Paris of the East in search of their fortune. Shanghai food is indeed an eclectic melting pot of tastes and dining experiences as you’ll find when exploring the Shanghai Chinese restaurants.
Like elsewhere in China, food is the glue of Shanghainese society, whether it’s a simple dish from a hole-in-the-wall in the suburbs, or a decadent meal at a posh Shanghai restaurant with a view of the city’s famous skyline. As the city races towards the future, Shanghai cuisine is transforming with the skyline. Not long ago, the Chinese diet would mainly consist of rice and vegetables, and eating was a means to survive. These days, many Chinese living in cities eat meat every day, and not only to survive, but to enjoy.

Eating in Shanghai is a communal affair and meant to be shared. When going out for dinner in Shanghai, several dishes will be ordered and shared between all the guests, family style. Etiquette dictates that one dish per person should be ordered, plus an extra two for the table (if there are 3 people, you’d order 5 dishes). Hosts will always order more for the table though, to prevent the embarrassment of being perceived as cheap.

As Shanghai embraces the future, old neighborhoods are bulldozed to make space for skyscrapers at an alarming pace. Unfortunately, Shanghai street food stalls also have a target on their backs as the city’s mantra is to be civilized, hygienic, and modern. And Chinese street food stalls are seen as unhygienic and uncivilized. Popular Shanghai street food spots have transformed into small hole-in-the-wall establishments over recent years. While this is sad, the food is still damn good.

What remains the same in the food is the emphasis on flavor, color and taste. Fresh, seasonal ingredients dictate what’s on a Shanghai menu, and as always meals are meant to be shared. While small establishments have mostly replaced the stalls of street food in Shanghai, the vibe is still energetic, and you don’t need to speak any Chinese to enjoy Chinese street food in Shanghai. Most of these small eateries specialize in one or two dishes only, so simply pointing at what is on display would get the job of ordering done.
There are eight classic Chinese cuisines named after the province they originate from: Anhui, Fujian, Sichuan, Cantonese (Guangdong province), Shandong, Hunan, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, and you can find them all in Shanghai.

Shanghai is a relatively young city and due to its importance, it is also a province on its own. Up until 1927, Shanghai was actually part of Jiangsu province. Due to this, the food in Shanghai shares most of the characteristics of the food of Jiangsu province. Shanghai’s famous crab comes from a lake near Suzhou in Jiangsu province.

Shanghai food is characterized by the use of soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and Shaoxing, which gives it a sweeter taste compared to other Chinese cuisines. Dishes are often braised in a soy, sugar, Shaoxing, and a five-spice rich broth giving the food a shiny, reddish-brown color. This style is known as red cooking and is very common in the Yangtze river delta.Food delivery is BIG everywhere in China. You can order from any eatery, coffee shop, bakery, or dessert shop (even convenience stores) and it should be at your door within half an hour or less. If you’re too tired to leave your hotel room, simply ask the concierge to recommend his favorite takeout and get it delivered.

When visiting Shanghai, you may be overwhelmed with food choices especially since you can get every type of Chinese cuisine in Shanghai. Our list of Must-Try Shanghai Foods (below) will give you the traditional Shanghai dishes not to miss, everything from breakfast in Shanghai, to Soup Dumplings, to Hairy Crab. Additionally, our list of Best Shanghai Restaurant Specialties (below) has unique Chinese food experiences that we highly recommend for visiting foodies.