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Shanghai cuisine

Cuisine originating from Shanghai, China

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The dishes within the cuisine need to master the three elements of "color, aroma, and taste" (色香味). 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 (海派菜).

Characteristic features

The four classic words used to describe Shanghai food are "浓油赤酱", meaning that Shanghai food uses a considerable amount of oil and soy sauce. Both dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce are used in Shanghai cooking, which gives dishes a red and shiny appearance. Dark soy sauce creates a dark amber color in dishes, while regular soy sauce enhances the flavor. Sugar is often added to soy sauce.

Dishes are prepared using various methods, such as baking, stewing, braising, steaming, and deep-frying. Fish, crab, and chicken are made "drunken" using spirits and brisk cooking techniques. Salted meats and preserved vegetables are commonly used in dishes. Rice is more commonly served than noodles or other wheat products.

Shanghai cuisine emphasizes the use of condiments while retaining the original flavors of raw ingredients. It aims for lightness in flavor and is mellower and slightly sweet in taste compared to some other Chinese cuisines. Sweet and sour is a typical Shanghai taste. In Shanghai cuisine, the presentation of dishes is also important. Ingredients are carefully cut and arranged to create a harmonious color scheme.

In the early 20th century, Shanghai families did not typically include fish in their daily meals, despite the city being a port town. Meat was considered a luxury, and meals were typically made up of vegetables, beans, and rice. Families would typically eat meat or fish for four meals within a month, on the second, eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-third days, which became known as dang hun. Nowadays, with increased awareness of nutrition, people eat more low-sugar and low-fat food and more vegetables to promote a healthier diet.

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