Shanghai, baby!

So, during the summer of 2006, I went to Shanghai on a school grant to conduct thesis "research." I ended up spending much more time exploring the city and its culinary tradition than on academic fieldwork.

My culinary experience of Shanghai last summer was a combination of everything, and I fully recognize that this was only possible because I was a privileged American using American dollars in China. I experienced a diverse array of street food, food court meals, home cooked meals with fresh ingredients, and expensive multi-course meals in the most expensive of five-star restaurants. For the typical American visiting Shanghai, or any other Chinese city, your American dollars will buy you a five-star dining experience; but my advice would be to sample the street food and smaller joints for a more diverse sampling of the local cuisine. Here's a few pictures of foods I enjoyed while in Shanghai:















This pancake-like creation is called "chung bing" and is a thicker, more dough-y version of a standard Chinese green onion pancake. Some versions of this food are slightly sweet too.















The basement floor of most malls in Shanghai have giant food courts with many different types of Asian cuisine, ranging from Chinese dim sum and snack foods, to Korean BBQ and soondooboo, to Japanese sushi. Each stand's displays of food are enticing, and coupled with the fact that a typical hearty entree will run about $3 (25-30 yuan), you can try as much food as your stomach can handle. This particular food court was located in the downtown Xujiahui district in the Meiluocheng shopping center. I highly recommend the Korean bibimbap stand.















The Asian bakeries in America cannot compare to the gourmet bread stores in Asia. This chain, called BreadTalk, sells pastries and breads filled with a variety of savory and sweet fillings, ranging from red bean and mung bean to hot dog and green onion. Mmm, a delicious snack! This particular bakery, if I remember correctly, was located in the Xujiahui district, in the Meiluocheng shopping center, but there are chains all over the city.















This was just really interesting to look at. I think it was for a fruit smoothie stand at the mall.















Making tea is an art which I am not well-versed enough in to talk about extensively here. My commentary, though, is that tea is a soothing drink on a hot Asian summer day.















Oh, look at me! I'm such a cute little pretty bun! What could be inside??















Oh, not so pretty and perfect anymore! Oh, but it was worth it! I have never, in my life, eaten such a wonderful veggie bun. This particular bun consists of a light, thin dough skin, with just the right amount of chewiness. The inside consists of spinach and small bits of mushroom and tofu. There's a small stand, a hole in the wall, called Guangmingcun, on Huaihai Lu, which sells these delectable treats for only a few cents a bun. They're freshly made each morning, and you should make sure to go early because they only make a limited amount and they sell out fast! The day before my sister and I left Shanghai, we took the bus to this stand and bought several dozen of these things to bring home to the States! They were worth it! Comes in red bean variety too, but the vegetable bun is a must-eat!















If you go to the less "developed" areas of the city, you will see fruit stands everywhere. Just beautiful.


















Sometimes, you can get the most interesting and unique foods when you leave the actual city. This concoction consists of rice, various pine nuts, mochi balls, and this strange red fruit which I don't know what to call in English. We ate this in a little rivertown about half an hour outside of Shanghai called Qibao, literally translated as "Seven Treasures."















Another edible treasure from Qibao. Giant tangyuan, or glutinous rice balls filled with your choice of black sesame, peanut, or meats. Several of these will make a filling meal and won't hurt your wallet either--they're only a few cents each!















The flavors of Lay's potato chips in China are really...strange, to say the least. Strange, as in AMAZING. Flavors like Beijing duck, Korean kimchi, French chicken, Hokkaido grilled crab, or Mexican Tomato Chicken. Of course, in reality, each flavor really just tastes like different types of "salty," but it's cute that they try to give these chips a multicultural feel. :)















*Props to Betty Wang for this picture.

And, of course, I had to include a picture of a Shanghai specialty, xiaolongbao, literally translated as "little dragon bags." How cute! Each succulent pork dumplings is filled with a burst of flavorful pork broth and a juicy piece of pork. To ensure that you don't squirt yourself or lose the precious broth, dip your dumpling in vinegar first, place the dumpling in a soup spoon (so that it collects the broth in case it spills), and then take a small bite from the side of the dumpling, suck out the broth carefully, and then eat the whole dumpling. Eating xiaolongbao is an art! Unless you rather prefer stuffing each dumpling whole into your mouth and letting the hot juices explode in your mouth, scalding your insides. Your choice.

Happy eating! Hope you enjoyed the pictures!