Eat Across China: Salty, Sweet, Fresh, and Delicious Shanghai Cuisine

Author: Shenzhen Jindan Cultural Development Company
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: Shanghai cuisine can be considered a culinary system that embodies the essence of Jiangnan. It combines the characteristics of the three major regional cuisines: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Huaiyang. The key to Shanghai cuisine lies in the word "Shanghai," which must be authentic in every aspect— t? nguyên li?u, h??ng v?, k? thu?t n?u n??ng, gia v?, màu s?c, hình d?ng, d?ng c? ?n u?ng, kh?ng gian, tên món ?n và h?n th? n?a—all must exude a distinct Shanghai style. Some people distinguish Shanghai cuisine into "Bengbang Cuisine" and "Haipai Cuisine." In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, there were 16 local culinary styles coexisting in Shanghai, known as the "16 Schools." As Shanghai cuisine is a local dish, it is referred to as Bengbang. Bengbang restaurants often prioritize authenticity, but they also incorporate elements of Jiangsu and Suzhou cuisine. "Haipai Cuisine," also known as modern Shanghai cuisine, heavily absorbs the flavors and cooking techniques of Cantonese, Sichuan, Ning, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, and Suzhou, as well as Western culinary methods, emphasizing innovation and reinvention. The cooking techniques of Shanghai cuisine primarily include braising, stir-frying, steaming, stewing, braising, and pickling. For example, braised eel, which uses a generous amount of ingredients and undergoes three stages of heat (small, medium, and large) for about 30 minutes of cooking. This process dissolves the fish's gelatin into the broth, resulting in a naturally thick and rich sauce without the need for cornstarch. The finished dish is glossy red, with an intact skin but tender and boneless flesh, offering a rich and sweet flavor, making it a representative of rich and savory dishes. For light and elegant dishes, the summer and autumn season's pickled items like pickled chicken, pickled pork trotters, pickled tripe, fragrant pickled edamame, and pickled bamboo shoots are top choices. Additionally, dishes like bamboo shoots with mustard greens, crystal shrimp, rock sugar and turtle soup, and Biluochun crab meat chicken skewers are renowned for their freshness and lightness.