Shanghai cuisine


Shanghai cuisine, also known as Hu cuisine, is a popular style of Chinese food. In a narrow sense, Shanghai cuisine refers only to what is traditionally called Benbang cuisine which originated in Shanghai. In a broader sense, it refers to complex styles of cooking developed under the influence of neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
The dishes within the cuisine need to master the three elements of "color, aroma, and taste". Like other cuisines within China, Shanghai cuisine emphasizes the use of seasonings, the quality of raw ingredients, and preserving the original flavors of ingredients. The adoption of Western influence in Shanghai cuisine resulted in a unique cooking style known as Haipai cuisine.

Characteristic features

Shanghai cuisine is characterized by its use of soy sauce, which gives dishes a red and shiny appearance. Both dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce are used in Shanghai cooking. Dark soy sauce creates a dark amber color in dishes, while regular soy sauce enhances the flavor. The four classic words used to describe Shanghai food are "labels=no", which means that Shanghai food uses a considerable amount of oil and soy sauce. Dishes are prepared using various methods, such as baking, stewing, braising, steaming, and deep-frying. Seafood is also a prominent feature of Shanghai cuisine, with fish, crab, and chicken being made "drunken" using spirits and brisk cooking techniques. Salted meats and preserved vegetables are commonly used to enhance various dishes. Additionally, sugar plays an important role in Shanghai cuisine when used in combination with soy sauce. Rice is more commonly served than noodles or other wheat products.
Shanghai cuisine aims to emphasize the original flavors of raw ingredients while utilizing condiments to enhance the taste. Compared to other Chinese cuisines, it has a mellower and slightly sweet taste. Sweet and sour is a typical Shanghai taste. Presentation is also a key aspect of Shanghai cuisine, with ingredients being meticulously cut and arranged to create a harmonious color scheme.
Interestingly, in the early 20th century, Shanghai families did not regularly include fish in their daily meals despite the city being a port town. Meat was considered a luxury, and meals typically consisted of vegetables, beans, and rice. Families would only consume meat or fish four times a month, on the second, eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-third days, which were known as dang hun. Today, with greater awareness of nutrition, there is a higher demand for low-sugar and low-fat foods, and more vegetables are being incorporated into diets to promote healthier eating habits.

History

Shanghai cuisine is the youngest of the ten major cuisines of China, although it still has more than 400 years of history. Traditionally called Benbang cuisine, it originated in the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the reign of Emperor Jiaqing and Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, a food stall was set up in the old city of Shanghai called "Shovel Bang". After 1930, as Shanghai's industry and commerce rapidly developed, the main customers of Benbang cuisine were an emerging class of workers. As a result, the proportion of inexpensive dishes in Benbang cuisine began to decrease.
In the later part of the 19th century, after Shanghai became a major domestic and international trading port, Benbang dishes underwent substantial change. After the opening of Shanghai port in 1843, sixteen different catering schools opened in Shanghai. Anhui cuisine was the first to gain popularity in Shanghai, followed by Suxi cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, and Beijing cuisine. In the 1930s, Suxi cuisine was prevalent in almost half of Shanghai's restaurants. Guangdong cuisine was highly popular among both residents of Shanghai and foreigners. As a result of adopting influences from other cuisines, the flavors of Shanghai cuisine became more complex.
Western influence in Shanghai cuisine resulted in the development of a unique cooking style known as Haipai cuisine. At the time, eating Western food was considered fashionable, but Chinese people initially struggled to adapt to certain aspects of Western cuisine, such as rare steak. Western food in Shanghai was influenced by many countries but formed its own distinct characteristics. Russian Shanghai Western food, which typically included one main dish and one soup, became particularly popular in Shanghai due to its economic benefits. Before 1937, there were over 200 Western restaurants in Shanghai, particularly on Xiafei Road and Fuzhou Road.
Nowadays, Shanghai's traditional cuisine is usually found only in home-cooked meals and some old Benbang restaurants. Shanghai is now more famous for its numerous exotic restaurants, especially those serving Japanese and French food.

Notable dishes in Shanghai cuisine

Breakfast

Breakfast food in Shanghai is varied and contains foods mainly made from wheat, rice, and flour. Many of them are influenced by Cantonese, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang cuisine, and through historical precipitation, these breakfasts have slowly become favorites of people in Shanghai today. The most classic Shanghai breakfast is called "The Four Warriors". These are the four most popular breakfast choices for Shanghainese.

Seafood

Seafood is commonly seen in Shanghai cuisine. These are some popular dishes.
  • Eel noodles – Made with sliced eels and wheat noodles.
  • Scallion stewed crucian carp – The preparation of this common crucian carp dish is quite involved and complex. It requires a significant amount of time to prepare, as the fish must be soaked in vinegar, deep-fried, stewed for a prolonged period, and cooled to make it tender enough to be consumed with all its bones. The difficulty in perfecting this dish, as well as its complexity, led to it being used as a test by families when recruiting a cook.
  • Shanghai hairy crab – A variety of Chinese mitten crab. The crab is usually steamed with ginger, and eaten with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, sugar, and ginger. Crab meat can be mixed with lard to make xiefen, or consumed in xiaolongbao or with tofu.
  • Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish – This dish features fresh mandarin fish and combines sweet and sour flavors. The fish is deep-fried and has a crispy exterior and soft interior. The dish is yellow and red, and it is displayed in the shape of a squirrel when plated. Hot broth is poured over it, which produces a high-pitched sound. It could be referring to a cooking technique where the addition of hot liquid to certain ingredients results in a distinct sound, typically due to the rapid steaming or bubbling.
  • Crystal shrimp – A dish featuring shrimp and eggs, with no additional ingredients. The shrimp is cooked until just translucent, giving its "crystal" name. Well-prepared crystal shrimp is tender yet crispy, with a robust shrimp flavor and a reddish hue tinged with milky white.

Meat and poultry

  • Beggar's chicken – Beggar's chicken calls for a chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, encased in mud, and roasted in fire, resulting in a slice of delicious and tender meat. According to a legend, a beggar in the Qing dynasty stole and hid a chicken under mud, hence the name of the dish.
  • Lion's head – This dish gets its name from the shape of the pork meatball resembling a lion's head and the cabbage, or other vegetables, resembling the lion's mane. It is served in two varieties: white and red. The red version is cooked with soy sauce and is typically served in a white pot.
  • Red braised pork belly – Braised pork belly cooked in Shanghainese soy sauce for a long time, resulting in a lump of juicy and tender meat.
  • Sweet and sour spareribs – The fresh pork ribs, which appear shiny and red after being cooked, are traditionally deep-fried, then coated in a sweet and sour sauce.
  • Dongpo pork - The pork is typically cut into thick, approximately 5 centimeter squares, with an even distribution of fat and lean meat, while retaining the skin.
  • Pork ribs and rice cakes - A traditional dish in Shanghai. This dish uses pork ribs paired with small and thin rice cakes, which are cooked through oil blanching and simmering. The pork ribs have a golden color, a crispy surface, and tender meat while the rice cakes are soft and chewy.

Noodles

  • Shanghai fried noodles – Shanghai fried noodles are fried thick noodles with soy sauce. It is most commonly cooked with bok choy and pork.
  • Chilled noodles – This dish is a combination of chilled noodles mixed with various sauces and toppings. Traditionally, the noodles are steamed before being cooked for improved flavor. After the noodles are cooled, they are mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce, and peanut sauce. People often add additional toppings when making it at home, and commonly use leftover food they have in the fridge.
  • Noodle soup – Su-style noodles are a common type of noodle soup. There are two different soup bases, and it is typically garnished with various toppings, mostly meat.
  • Scallion oil noodles – A popular noodle dish in Shanghai that can be found in many local restaurants and food stalls. The scallion oil is made by crisping and browning chopped scallions in hot oil. The dish is then coated in scallion oil, soy sauce, and spices, blending savory, sweet, and mildly spicy flavors.

Soup

  • Borscht – This dish is a combination of tomatoes and beef. It is considered a classic Shanghai dish that incorporates local elements of Shanghai cuisine. Originally introduced to Shanghai from Russia, it has now become a common dish in Shanghai homes.

Snacks

  • Shengjian mantou or Shengjianbao – A Shanghai mantou is a round bun filled with pork, similar to a xiaolongbao but thicker due to the addition of yeast. It is pan-fried and topped with sesame seeds and chopped scallions for flavor.
  • Xiaolongbao – A type of steamed dumpling made with a thin skin of dough and stuffed with pork or minced crab meat, and soup. The delicious soup stays inside the dumpling until it is bitten.
  • Guotie or potstickers – Essentially Jiaozi, but rather than being boiled or steamed, they are first fried in oil on one side, then steamed by adding a small amount of water and covering the pan. When the water evaporates, the dumpling is crispy on one side and soft and chewy on the other. Traditionally, guotie is filled with ground pork and finely chopped Chinese scallions or cabbage.
  • Savory mooncakes – Mooncakes consumed in other parts of China are usually sweet, with fillings such as sesame seeds, walnuts, and red bean paste. However, in Shanghai, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, locals consume a savory version of mooncakes filled with meat. This type of mooncake is usually only available at select local restaurants.

Desserts