The most famous place in Shanghai to enjoy the true flavor of authentic Shanghai food is Chenghuang Temple Market, which serves a large variety of pure Shanghai food.

Different from the sweet taste of Cantonese and Hong Kong food and the spicy flavor of Sichuan and Chongqing food, Shanghai snack food is well-known for being light, fresh and tasty. Among them, the most popular are Tangbao (steamed dumplings filled with minced meat and gravy), Baiye (boiled thin sheets of bean curd) and Youmianjin (soft, fired fermented dough that's hollow).

Have you ever had the chance to taste Chinese dumplings, one of the best-known traditional Chinese foods? If you haven't, it's a real shame—dumplings are essential parts of many Chinese festivals and are, on top of that, delicious! But one of the best is a unique kind of dumpling filled with gravy or soup stalk called tangbao. They're small and delicately made with a thin layer of dough and abundant stuffing, tangbao taste best when filled with crab or shrimp, but different combinations are often equally as good. When you take a bite of the soft exterior shell, some gravy with pleasant smell will flow out. Certainly not short on taste, tangbao are nearly impossible to resist. Although the first one isn't free, they're relatively inexpensive and have been noted for their addictive qualities.

Baiye is another kind of tempting snack which is made of several thin layers of bean curd. It looks very much like a bow-tie and is usually mixed with rib soup after being boiled. Salt and chopped green onions are later added to the mix to make it taste better.

Youmianjin are small fermented dough balls made from flour powder. Having been deep-fried, they are also blended with boiling rib soup. Then a lot of seasoning is added to enhance the snack's flavor. When you are enjoying them, you'll find they're tasty but not too greasy.

Here is a question. Is it possible to enjoy North American style Thanksgiving food in Shanghai? The answer is a definite yes! Among all of Shanghai's delicious snack food, there is also one known as “pumpkin pie� However, the major difference from the traditional pumpkin pie lies in its size and ingredients. In essence, it's a “mini-pumpkin pie�and the crust is made from sticky rice and pumpkin. But what's the filling made of? Is it more pumpkin? Perhaps a special kind of Chinese gourd? To relieve the mounting suspense, it's minced cashew, that's both sweet and fragrant. So, it's not exactly a pumpkin pie, but does manage to produce the same, warm feeling.

There are hundreds of kinds of snack foods in Shanghai. A complete introduction to them would take weeks—if not months—and perhaps offer a few extra pounds for the investment. It would be quite a feat of hedonism to enjoy them all at once! But if you want to try them, come and join our tour in snack kingdom to find out more about food!
(Text by Wei Tong Polisher: Chris Checker: Liu Yudan)

source: crienglish.com