Shanghai cuisine

Shanghai cuisine (Chinese: 上海菜; pinyin: Shànghǎi cài), also known as Hu cuisine (simplified Chinese: 沪菜; traditional Chinese: 滬菜; pinyin: Hù cài), is a popular style of Chinese food. In a narrow sense, Shanghai cuisine refers only to what is traditionally called Benbang cuisine (本帮菜; 本幫菜; Běnbāng cài; 'local cuisine') which originated in Shanghai; in a broad sense, it refers to complex and developed styles of cooking under profound influence of those of the surrounding provinces, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It takes "colour, aroma and taste" as its elements, like other Chinese regional cuisines, and emphasises in particular the use of seasonings, the quality of raw ingredients and original flavours. Shanghai was formerly a part of Jiangsu province; as such Shanghai cuisine is most similar to Jiangsu cuisine and may still be classified as a part of Jiangsu cuisine, although it has come into more contact with Zhejiang cuisine and foreign influences as an international city. The adoption of Western influence in Shanghai cuisine developed a unique cooking style known as Haipai cuisine（海派菜）.

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Shanghai cuisine
Chinese上海菜
Hu cuisine
Simplified Chinese沪菜
Traditional Chinese滬菜
Skewered quail is common street food in Qibao Town, Shanghai.

Characteristic features

Shanghai dishes usually appear red and shiny because they love using soy sauce for seasoning. There are four very classic words to describe Shanghai food is "浓油赤酱[1]". This means that Shanghai food likes to use more oil and more soy sauce. They are cooked using a variety of methods including baking, stewing, braising, steaming and deep-frying. Fish, crab and chicken are made "drunken" with spirits and briskly cooked, steamed or served raw. Salted meats and preserved vegetables are also commonly used to enhance various dishes. Sugar is an important ingredient in Shanghai cuisine, especially when used in combination with soy sauce. Another characteristic is the use of a great variety of seafood. Rice is more commonly served than noodles or other wheat products.[2]

Shanghai cuisine emphasises the use of condiments while retaining the original flavours of raw ingredients. It aims at lightness in flavour and is mellower and slightly sweet in taste compared to some other Chinese cuisines. Sweet and sour is a typical Shanghai taste. An attractive presentation is also important in Shanghai cooking with ingredients being carefully cut and presented with a view to harmonising colours.

Although Shanghai is a sea port, most families did not incorporate fish in their daily meals in the early 20th century. Eating meat with meals was considered a luxury, as the typical meal consisted of vegetables, beans, and rice. In a month, most families typically usually ate meat or fish for about four meals: on the second, eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-third day of each month. These days became known as dang hun.[3] In recent times, special attention has been paid to low-sugar and low-fat food, with a good quantity of vegetables and improved nutritional value.

History

Shanghai cuisine is the youngest among the ten major cuisines of China although it still has a history of more than 400 years. Traditionally called Benbang cuisine, it originated in the Ming and Qing dynasties (c. 1368-1840). 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, which was called "Shovel Bang"(铲刀帮). After 1930, with the rapid development of industry and commerce in Shanghai, the customers of BenBang cuisine became an emerging class mainly composed of employees, and the proportion of cheap dishes in BenBang cuisine began to decline. In the later part of the 19th century, after Shanghai became a major domestic and international trading port, Benbang dishes underwent some substantial changes. After the opening of Shanghai port in 1843, sixteen different catering schools gathered in Shanghai. Anhui cuisine first became popular in Shanghai, and then Suxi cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine and Beijing cuisine gradually flourished. In the 1930s, Suxi cuisine accounted for almost half of Shanghai's restaurants, while Guangdong cuisine became the synonym of Shanghai's passion cuisine, which was deeply loved by Shanghai residents and foreigners. After adopting influences from other cuisines, the complexity of Shanghai cuisine's flavor has increased.[4]

Also, the adoption of Western influence in Shanghai cuisine developed a unique cooking style known as Haipai cuisine（海派菜). Although eating Western food was a very fashionable way of life at that time, Chinese people had difficulty in adapting to western cuisine at the beginning, such as the rare steak. Shanghai western food then draws on the essence of western food from various countries and gradually forms its own characteristics. Russian Shanghai Western food with one dish and one soup (borscht, bread and butter) is instantly popular in Shanghai due to its economic benefits. Before 1937, there were more than 200 western restaurants in Shanghai, especially Xiafei Road and Fuzhou Road.[5]

Nowadays, Shanghai's traditional cuisine is usually found only in home-cooked meals and some old Benbang restaurants. As a world-renowned international metropolis, the cuisine here also presents a state of flourishing. It is worth mentioning that Shanghai is now more famous in the eyes of most young people for the numerous exotic restaurants it has introduced, especially Japanese and French food.[6]

Notable dishes in Shanghai cuisine

Breakfast

Breakfast in Shanghai is very famous. It contains many categories. They are mainly made from wheat, rice and flour. Many of them are influenced by Cantonese cuisine, Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, and through historical precipitation, these breakfasts have slowly evolved into the favorite flavors of Shanghai people today. The most classic Shanghai Breakfast is called The Four Warriors, Si Da Jin Gang. These are the four most popular breakfast choices for local Shanghainese.[7]

  • Glutinous rice rolls (ci fan, 粢饭)
  • Soy milk (dou jiang, 豆浆)
  • Chinese cruller (youtiao, 油条)
  • Sesame pancake (da bing, 大饼)

Seafood
Shanghai hairy crab's original taste is best preserved with steaming.
  • Eel noodles – (鳗鱼面; 鰻魚麵; Mányú Miàn) – Made with sliced eels and wheat noodles.[8]
  • Scallion stewed crucian carp – (葱烧鲫鱼; 蔥燒鯽魚; Cōngshāo Jìyú) – This is rather involved and complex preparation for the common crucian carp. The dish requires long hours for preparation since the fish needs to be soaked in vinegar, and then deep-fried, stewed for a long prolonged period, and cooled to make the fish tender enough to consume together with all its bones. Due to the complexity of its preparation and the difficulty in perfecting it, the dish was sometimes used by families as a test when recruiting a cook.[9]
  • Shanghai hairy crab (上海毛蟹; Shànghǎi Máo Xiè) – A variety of Chinese mitten crab. The crab is usually steamed with fragrant ginger, and consumed with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, sugar and ginger. Mixing crabmeat with lard to make Xiefen, and consuming it in xiaolongbao or with tofu is another highlight of hairy crab season.[10][11]
  • Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish (松鼠桂鱼; 松鼠桂魚; Sōngshǔ Guīyú) – This dish uses fresh mandarin fish. The fish is deep-fried and has a crispy exterior and soft interior. Yellow and red in colour, it is displayed in the shape of a squirrel on the plate. Hot broth is poured over, which produces a high-pitched sound. Sour and sweet flavours are combined in this dish.[12]

Meat and poultry
  • Beggar's chicken (叫化鸡; 叫化雞; Jiàohuā Jī) – Beggar's Chicken calls for a chicken wrapped in lotus leaves, encased in mud, and roasted in fire, resulting in a delicious and tender meat. According to a legend, a beggar in the Qing dynasty stole and hid a chicken under mud.[8]
  • Lion's head (狮子头; 獅子頭; Shīzi Tóu) – The name derives from the shape of the pork meatball which is supposed to resemble a lion's head and the cabbage (or other vegetables), which is supposed to resemble the lion's mane. It is served in two varieties: the white (or plain), and the red (cooked with soy sauce), and is usually in a white pot.[8]
  • Red braised pork belly (红烧肉; 紅燒肉; Hóngshāo Ròu) – The dish is a braised pork belly cooked in Shanghainese soy sauce for a long time, resulting in a juicy and tender meat.[8]
    Red braised pork belly, a classic Shanghai cuisine
  • Sweet and sour spare ribs (糖醋排骨; Táng Cù Páigǔ) – The fresh pork ribs, which appear shiny and red after being cooked, are traditionally deep fried then coated in a sweet and sour sauce.[13]
A type of fried noodles with bok choy and pork with a soy sauce base.

Noodles
  • Shanghai fried noodles(上海炒面; 上海炒麵; Shànghǎi Chǎomiàn) – Shanghai fried noodles are fried thick noodles (sometimes udon) with soy sauce. It is most commonly cooked with bok choy and pork.[14]
  • Chilled noodles(冷面; 冷麵; Lěngmiàn) – This dish is the combination of chilled noodles mixed with different sauces and toppings. Traditionally the noodles are steamed before cooked for a better taste. After the noodles get cooled down, mix them with sesame oil, soy sauce, and peanut sauce.[15] People usually add more toppings when they make it at home, such as putting whatever leftover food they can find in the fridge.
  • Noodle soup(汤面; 湯麵; Tāngmiàn) – The type of noodle soup that most Shanghai people consume every day is Su-style noodles. It usually has two different soup bases to choose from and people add different toppings (mostly meat) on it.

Soup
  • Borscht (罗宋汤)—The dish is made mainly of tomatoes and beef. This is an exotic classic Shanghai dish with local elements of Shanghai cuisine. Because the sweet and sour taste of the dish itself is very popular among Shanghainese. Therefore, after it was introduced to Shanghai from Russia, it has now become a common dish in Shanghai people's homes.[16]
Xiaolongbao, a type of steamed bun from the Jiangnan region

Snacks
  • Shengjian mantou (生煎馒头; 生煎饅頭; Shēngjiān Mántóu) or Shengjianbao (生煎包; Shēngjiān bāo) – It is typically in a round bun, similar yet thicker than a xiaolongbao (due to the addition of yeast) and is stuffed with pork. It is then pan-fried and seasoned with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.[17]
  • Xiaolongbao (小笼包; 小籠包; Xiǎolóngbāo) – A type of steamed bun made with a thin skin of dough and stuffed with pork or minced crabmeat, and soup. The delicious soup inside can be hold up until it is bitten.
  • Guotie (锅贴) or potsticker, is essentially a Jiaozi, but rather than boiled or steamed, they are fried in a pan with oil on one side and then water is added to the pan and covered to steam the rest of the dumpling. Traditionally, Guotie are filled with ground pork and finely chopped Chinese scallions or cabbage.[18]
  • Savory mooncakes (鲜肉月饼; Xian rou yue bin) — This is a very typical Shanghai snack. It is worth noting that mooncakes eaten in most parts of China are actually sweet, with fillings such as sesame seeds, walnuts and red bean paste. But in Shanghai, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, shanghainese eat mooncakes with fresh meat. It's a kind of moon cake with meat wrapped in a pastry. Usually only some local restaurants will sell this kind of fresh mooncake.[19]

Desserts
  • Tangyuan (汤圆; 湯圓; Tāngyuán) – A type of sweet dumpling made of glutinous rice flour and stuffed with black sesame. Qibao has a number of tangyuan vendors.[17]

See also

References
  1. "浓油赤酱，被米其林低估的上海味道_身体_澎湃新闻-The Paper". www.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  2. "Learn About the Top Chinese Food Recipes From Shanghai". The Spruce Eats. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  3. Hanchao Lu (1999). Beyond the Neon Lights: Everyday Shanghai in the Early Twentieth Century. University of California Press. ISBN 0520215648.
  4. 网易 (2019-09-04). "寻味上海① | 我们查了查本帮菜的户口簿，发现了它的祖宗。". www.163.com. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  5. "SHANGHAI FOOD STORIES - HAIPAI 海派 CUISINE". SHANGHAI FOOD STORIES - HAIPAI 海派 CUISINE. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  6. "上海故事 | "吃西菜到红房子"：海派西餐那些事_湃客_澎湃新闻-The Paper". www.thepaper.cn. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  7. "The Breakfast Foods You Have to Try in Shanghai". Saveur. 2018-11-13. Retrieved 2022-04-22.
  8. Deason, Rachel. "Traditional Shanghainese Dishes You Must Try". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  9. Lee, Jesse (2008), 上海味兒, 旗林文化, ISBN 978-986-6655-14-2
  10. "The That's Guide to Gorging on Shanghai Hairy Crab". www.thatsmags.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  11. "Zoobenthos Archived 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine". The Shanghai Jiuduansha Wetland Nature Reserve (Shanghai), 2014.
  12. 名家名菜—松鼠鳜鱼. home.meishichina.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  13. 上海糖醋小排. www.meishij.net. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  14. "Shanghai Fried Noodles (Cu Chao Mian)". The Woks of Life. 2014-12-14. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  15. Tan, Tony. "Shanghai-style chilled noodles recipe". Gourmet Traveller. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  16. "Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup (罗宋汤 - Luo Song Tang)". The Woks of Life. 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  17. Wei, Clarissa (2017-04-27). "A Guide to 14 of the Most Iconic Foods in Shanghai". Vice. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  18. "7 Types Of Chinese Dumplings In Shanghai: Dumpling Guide". almostlanding.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  19. "Shanghai Savory Mooncakes (Xian Rou Yue Bing)". The Woks of Life. 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
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