The Five-Spice Beans from the City God Temple are made with carefully selected ingredients and cooked to perfection. The beans used are specially chosen from the broad beans produced in Yuyao County, Zhejiang Province. The selection process is extremely strict—yellow-skinned beans and worm-eaten beans are not allowed; only uniformly green-skinned beans are used. These are thoroughly washed and then boiled. The cooking is done on a double-eye stove, with one pot of plain water and one pot of sugar water on top. When…
Hui Ink is renowned alongside Huzhou brushes, Xuan paper, and Duan inkstones as one of the “Four Treasures of the Study.” By the Qing Dynasty, Hui Ink had reached its historical peak in both quality and production, giving rise to four master ink makers: Cao Sugong, Wang Jinsheng, Wang Jie’an, and Hu Kaiwen. Cao Sugong ranked first among the “Four Great Masters,” leading to the saying, “Of all inks under heaven, those of Shezhou are the finest; of Shezhou’s inks, those of the Cao family are supreme.” The inksticks produced by Cao Sugong’s ink shop were celebrated worldwide for their exceptional quality and exquisite decoration, suitable for both writing and artistic appreciation. In the third year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty, Cao Sugong’s ink shop relocated from Shezhou to Shanghai. From its founding until 1956, the Cao family had passed through thirteen generations over more than 300 years, creating renowned inksticks for calligraphy and painting such as “Purple Jade Light,” “Guangchen,” “Tianrui,” and “Thousand Autumns Light,” as well as luxury sets like “Leopard Pouch Collection” and “Ancient Coins,” which were bestsellers in Japan and Southeast Asia.
Shanghai silk flowers mainly involve the following six processes: The first is material sizing. The raw materials for silk flowers are mostly made of silk fabrics, which are generally soft in texture, not easy to cut, and the petals tend to have frayed edges, making them difficult to shape. Therefore, a sizing process is required. Bean flour is used as the sizing agent. In the past, sizing was done manually, which resulted in low production and was not suitable for assembly-line manufacturing, and drying relied on the weather. Now, mechanical scraping and steam drying are used. The second is cutting. According to the designed petal shapes, a knocking knife and a cutting machine are used to cut the material, replacing the previous method of manually hammering petals with heavy wooden mallets. The third is dyeing, which is a relatively important part of the production process. To accommodate color variations, facilitate overprinting, and meet the special needs of small-batch production, a cold dyeing method using alcohol as a penetrant is generally employed, with scientific proportions of water, penetrant, and dye. Color cards are used as color references, replacing the previous method of relying solely on experience and visual estimation. The fourth is shaping. In the past, petals were shaped by hand through holding, ironing, twisting, and pulling. Now, molds and mechanical stamping are used to make the petal veins clear and improve quality. The fifth is setting. The shaped petals contain a certain amount of moisture, making them relatively wet and soft, so they need to be dried and set to ensure the overall lifelike appearance of the flower. Electric ovens are now used instead of traditional fire (coal) stoves for drying. Finally, there is assembly, which is generally divided into three steps: gluing the flowers, attaching the set petals to form flowers according to the actual sample; piecing the flowers, using parchment paper to sequentially assemble the flowers, leaves, twigs, and stems into a complete silk flower product; and finally packaging them into boxes. The products feature bright and harmonious colors, reasonable structure, full shape, soft lines, and a blend of realism and beauty, possessing a high degree of artistry and aesthetic appeal.
Seal carving is one of China's traditional art forms with a long history. During the pre-Qin and Han-Wei periods, seals were carved by artisans and achieved high artistic standards. From the Sui and Tang dynasties onward, each period developed its own distinctive styles and characteristics. It is said that starting from the Yuan Dynasty, painter Wang Mian began using huamushi stone as seal material due to its ease of carving, which led to wider popularity. As…
A pinch of crisp is one of the three famous snacks from Gaoqiao, Shanghai. Originally in powder form, it was eaten with a spoon as a small tonic food during winter. Later, to make it easier to sell, it was shaped into a small, pinch-sized form—hence the name "a pinch of crisp." The product looks as if pinched by hand, with clear, intact fingerprints, and does not crumble. When eaten, it is soft as snow fluff and crispy as frost flowers, oily without being greasy, sweet yet...
Ingredients: 10 kg of special flour, 3.5 kg of powdered sugar, 3.5 kg of cooked lard, 80 g of baking soda, 500 g of eggs. Method: 1. First, place the dry flour on the work surface and spread it out in a basin shape. Then add the powdered sugar, cooked lard, eggs, and baking soda, and mix well until fully incorporated (in summer, mix lightly to avoid insufficient fluffiness or uneven rising during baking...).
Introduction to Shanghai Salted Duck: Ingredients: one plucked duck, scallions, ginger, salt, yellow wine, and Sichuan peppercorns as needed. Method: 1. Clean the duck thoroughly and rub it inside and out with Sichuan peppercorns and salt. Marinate for 3 hours; 2. Place the marinated duck in a steamer with ginger, scallions, salt, and yellow wine. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and steam for another 20 minutes until fully cooked…
Scallops Soup Dumplings: These dumplings are bursting with rich, aromatic broth—Shanghai-style soup dumplings that truly highlight the juice inside. The broth is simmered with ingredients like scallops, and the filling is made from premium tenderloin. With one bite, you’ll be greeted by an intense fragrance as the savory juice flows out of the dumpling. The wrapper is delightfully chewy yet paper-thin. Restaurant name: Jingjing Shanghai Snacks Address: North District…
Shanghai Lasha Glutinous Rice Balls The Shanghai Lasha glutinous rice balls have a history of over 70 years. In the past, a clay sand basin with grooved inner walls was used, along with a hard pomegranate wood stick as the "grinding pestle" to mash the batter in the basin. Roasted dried beans such as peanuts, sesame seeds, or soybeans were added to the basin and dry-ground into a powdery "fragrant sand."...
Crab Roe Soup Dumplings Ingredients: 1000g flour, 600g warm water, 700g pork belly, 280g pork skin jelly, 160g crab meat, 40g crab roe, 40g soy sauce, 100g lard, 6g cooking wine, 8g sesame oil, 5g sugar, 5g chopped green onion, 5g minced ginger, 15g salt, 1g pepper, 1g monosodium glutamate…
Braised Gluten in Soy Sauce Ingredients: 10 oz ground pork, 6 oz fried gluten balls, 1 Chinese cabbage, 1 tbsp minced scallions, 4 tbsp water. Seasonings: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cornstarch, a pinch each of MSG, sesame oil, pepper, and salt. Method: (1) Place the ground pork in a container, add minced scallions, salt, MSG, pepper, sesame oil, each...
Shanghai jade carving mainly falls into four categories: censers and vases, figures, birds, and beasts. Among these, censers and vases are the most renowned for their dignified and elegant designs, simple yet exquisite patterns, and a strong bronze ware aesthetic, setting them apart in the jade carving industry. There is a wide variety of Shanghai jade censers and vases, including incense burners, bottles, tripods, you-vessels, jue-vessels, incense censers, cups, boxes, …
Introduction to Sweet and Sour Hairtail: Ingredients: hairtail, vinegar (100g), sugar (175g), soy sauce (10g), salt (3g), clear broth (300g), minced ginger, minced scallions, minced garlic (a small amount each), wet starch (150g), peanut oil (1750g). Method: 1. Remove the internal organs of the hairtail, wash it clean, and cut it into 6cm-long segments. Sprinkle some salt...
Braised Duck Rolls with Auspicious Shapes: Duck meat is cut into chunks with the skin side down and arranged in a bowl. Eggs are beaten into omelets, spread with shrimp paste, rolled into "auspicious" shapes, steamed until cooked, then sliced and arranged around the duck pieces. The dish is seasoned, steamed thoroughly, then inverted onto a large serving plate. Chicken broth is brought to a boil, seasoned, and poured over the top. It is one of Shanghai’s famous dishes.…
Yellow Croaker Stewed Noodles: Use a whole yellow croaker (600–750g). First, fillet the fish, then cut the flesh into four small pieces. Marinate them briefly with a little egg white, salt, and starch. Wash and finely chop the potherb mustard. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan, sauté the scallions and ginger until fragrant, then add the yellow croaker bones (with the flesh removed) and lightly sear them. Immediately pour in one tablespoon of cooking wine, add water and all the seasonings...
"Roasted sweet potatoes," also known as baked sweet potatoes or grilled yams, are especially loved by Shanghainese. Especially in winter, roasted sweet potatoes from street vendors can be seen everywhere in Shanghai. As the roasting process increases their sweetness, they become exceptionally delicious, and the aroma of the roasted sweet potatoes can be smelled from afar. In recent years, new ways of eating them have occasionally appeared on the streets of Shanghai, such as...
Wheat gluten is made by grinding wheat with the bran into wheat bran flour, then kneading, rinsing, and washing it in water to separate out the gluten, which is then fermented and steamed. Four-Happiness Braised Wheat Gluten is a classic Shanghai dish and a delicious vegetarian option suitable for all ages. The traditional "Four-Happiness" refers to four ingredients: shiitake mushrooms, daylily buds, black fungus, and peanuts, but...
Smoked toads, which are essentially smoked toads, are quite tasty, but not very environmentally friendly, so they have gradually been banned in recent years. Preparation method — It’s best to use high-quality wild ones, with those containing toad oil being the top grade. The creature is skinned, cleaned, and its internal organs are also washed and placed back inside. It can be smoked using charcoal smoke, oil, or preferably...
Xu Sihai’s teapot making in Shanghai began in the 1960s, and the large Yixing clay teapots he created gained fame worldwide. Influenced by the works of Qing Dynasty artists such as Chen Mansheng and Yang Pengnian, he collaborated with painters and calligraphers like Tang Yun, Xie Zhiliu, Cheng Shifa, and Hu Wensui to integrate teapot craftsmanship with calligraphy, painting, and seal engraving arts, producing numerous teapots adorned with artwork. He also cooperated with Taiwan professor Li Qimao…
The Shanghai Bang Melon gets its name from its thin and brittle skin, which can easily crack upon slight impact when ripe. It has an elongated, oval shape that is slightly thicker in the middle, resembling an olive-shaped horse bell, hence it is also called the Horse Bell Melon. It typically weighs around 2 kilograms, with larger ones ranging from 2.5 to 3 kilograms. The rind is light green with shallow floral net patterns, thin and crisp, while the flesh is pale yellow, with bright red seeds. The melon has thick, juicy flesh,…