Shanghai foods: local dishes and portion descriptions

Shanghai's edible icon: gossamer-thin pleated dumplings cradling minced pork and a burst of hot, gelatin-set broth. Lift one gently, nibble a hole, sip the soup, then dip in black vinegar with ginger slivers. Born here in Nanxiang, still found citywide.

Plump pan-fried pork buns with a yeasted top and a lacquered, crackling golden bottom, scattered with sesame seeds and scallion. Each one hides a pocket of scalding juice. A teahouse classic from the 1930s, devoured fresh off the griddle for breakfast.

Cubes of pork belly slow-braised in soy sauce, rock sugar and Shaoxing wine until meltingly tender and mahogany-glossy, the fat turned silken and the sauce sticky-sweet. The soul of Shanghai home cooking — patient technique transforming humble pork into pure comfort.

Springy noodles tossed in dark oil slowly infused with caramelized scallions, soy sauce and a touch of sugar. Deceptively simple, deeply savory, and intensely aromatic. Born in working-class kitchens, it remains a beloved everyday Shanghai lunch and late-night craving.

Autumn's obsession: freshwater Yangcheng Lake crabs steamed whole with perilla, prized for the golden roe of females and creamy paste of males. Cracked open and dipped in ginger-vinegar, washed down with warm Shaoxing wine. A seasonal feast every Shanghainese awaits.

Summer nights belong to crayfish piled high and stir-fried in garlic, chili, beer and thirteen-spice broth. Diners crack shells by hand for hours over cold beer along buzzing food streets like Shouning Road. Messy, communal and gloriously addictive.

Bite-sized pork ribs fried then glazed in a glossy lacquer of black vinegar, soy and sugar until sticky and caramelized. Served cold or warm, it captures Shanghai's signature balance of sweet and tangy — a centerpiece of any festive family table.

Poached chicken steeped cold in a fragrant Shaoxing wine brine with ginger and goji, served chilled in trembling slices. Boozy, savory and refreshing, it's the quintessential cold starter — a cooling, elegant counterpoint to Shanghai's richer braised dishes.

A beloved Shanghai street duo: chewy pan-fried rice cakes paired with a crisp-fried, sweet-savory soy-glazed pork chop. The springy niangao soaks up the sauce while the rib stays crackling. Cheap, filling and nostalgic comfort from the city's old snack streets.

Spongy steamed wheat gluten braised with black fungus, lily buds, peanuts and daylily in a sweet soy glaze, served cold. Springy and saturated with sauce, this classic vegetarian cold dish is a New Year staple and a humble Shanghai household favorite.