China has a vast number of regional cuisines, which have traditionally been classified according to four main cooking styles. Below is a summary of the four styles and their various sub-branches:
Beijing/Northern -- Beijing or Northern cuisine is typically characterized by strong, robust flavors and hearty ingredients; pork and lamb dominate, the latter also due to the Muslim influence in the northwestern part of the country. Staples are heavy noodles and breads instead of rice. Uighur or Xinjiang cuisine falls under this rubric. Jiaozi, small chunks of meat and vegetables wrapped in dough and boiled, are popular snacks also eaten during the Chinese New Year.
Huaiyang/Shanghai -- Huaiyang cuisine, encompassing the coastal areas of eastern China, and said to require the most skill, aims to preserve the basic flavor of each ingredient in order to achieve balance and freshness. River fish, farm animals, birds, and vegetables feature prominently, and braising and stewing are more common than stir-frying. Red sauces (from soy sauce, sugar, and oil) are popular. Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Yangzhou-style cooking are all minor variations on the same theme.
Cantonese -- Considered the most refined and sophisticated of the cuisines, the emphasis here is on freshness and lightness, with steaming and stir-frying the cooking methods of choice. Seafood dominates, but just about anything edible is fair game -- the Cantonese are known for being the most adventurous eaters. Top hotels all have Cantonese restaurants, which are always the first choice for Chinese if they're trying to impress a guest. Cantonese dim sum, featuring little morsels of food like shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork crisps, and egg tarts, is widely popular.
Sichuan -- Sichuan cooking, born in the damp interior of Southwestern China, relies heavily on chilies, peppers, peppercorns, and garlic; spicy and pungent flavors are the result. Popular dishes include gongbao jiding (diced chicken with chili and peanuts) and mapo dofu (spicy tofu with minced pork). Sichuan hotpot (huoguo) is also a favorite. Although popular in Shanghai, Sichuan cooking has seldom made it here intact: The local preference for sweet and salty is readily apparent on many a Sichuan menu in town. Other southwestern cuisines, such as Guizhou and Yunnan, which are themselves sub-divided into various ethnic minority cuisines, tend to be spicy and sour.
Shanghai's Favorite Dumpling
Xiao Long bao, literally "little steamer buns," are popular in many parts of China, but nowhere more so than in the Shanghai region. The characteristic that distinguishes this little dumpling from all others is the hot broth inside that will trickle into your mouth, or squirt onto your neighbor's lap, depending on how you handle it. Xiaolong bao is made by wrapping ground pork and a gelatinous soup in as thin a dough wrapper as possible. Sometimes, powdered crabmeat is added (xiefen xiaolong). After steaming, the gelatin has melted and the pork is bathed in a delicious hot oil, all inside the wrapper. Tip: Never bite directly into a xiaolong bao right out of the steamer, as the scalding broth can cause some serious tongue damage! Expert xiaolong bao eaters usually hold the top of the dumpling with their chopsticks, with a spoon underneath. Nibble at the skin on top and let the broth trickle onto the spoon, or wait a few seconds for the broth to cool, then slurp the whole thing into your mouth. If desired, you can add some vinegar and ginger.
To be expected, the question of which place serves the best xiaolong bao in town is a contentious one. Nanxiang Mantou Dian in Old Town may have the imprimatur of tradition, history and fame, but for modern connoisseurs who prefer their dumpling wrapper skins paper-thin and still be able to seal in the juices, there's a healthy competition going between the upstart Taiwanese chain Ding Tai Feng and the Singapore-originated Crystal Jade Restaurant. For our wrappers, we like Crystal Jade by a skin, though of course you can resolve the question for yourself by trying all three outlets.
Shanghai's Street Food
For all of Shanghai's glamorous world-class restaurants located in restored colonial edifices or the most modern of skyscrapers, some of the city's best (not to mention cheapest) eating can be found on Shanghai's streets. At holes-in-the-wall or flimsy makeshift stalls about town, you can find everything from your average meat and vegetable buns (roubao/caibao) and shaomai (glutinous rice dumplings) to Shanghai's classic snacks like cong you bing (scallion pancakes), jiucai hezi (leek pie), xiaolong bao (pork-filled soup dumplings) and even chou dofu (stinky tofu), to the Muslim influenced yangrou chuan (spicy grilled lamb skewers). A perennial favorite is shengjian bao, medium-sized buns filled with fatty ground pork, shallow-fried on the bottom then steamed, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and chives. You can eat it plain or dip it in black Zhenjiang vinegar. But the piece de resistance of Shanghai street food has to be jidan bing (egg pancake), a kind of local breakfast burrito. Batter is poured onto a hot round griddle to form a thin crepe. A fresh egg is added, along with a dash of bean paste, chili sauce, chives, finely diced pickled mustard greens, and the optional salty cruller (youtiao). The whole thing is then folded into a square or a roll and presto -- a most tasty breakfast you won't find back home. Though these snacks are available on many a Shanghai street corner, those in the know head for the corner of Changle Lu and Xiangyang Lu in the French Concession, where you can find some of the best street breakfasts and snacks in town.
Chinese on the Cheap
Fast, tasty, and cheap Chinese food can always be found in the point-and-choose food courts that blanket the basements (usually) of the large shopping malls and department stores. A multitude of stalls proffer everything from basic stir-fries to Hong Kong-style dim sum, Southern-style casseroles to Northern-style noodles and dumplings. Simply point and choose from the dishes or models on display. Prices are very reasonable, allowing you to try a variety of dishes. You will have to purchase coupons or a card to pay for your food at each stall. The Megabite (Dashidai) food courts in Hong Kong Plaza (Huaihai Zhong Lu 282, Luwan) and Raffles City Mall (Xizang Zhong Lu 268, Huangpu) are excellent places to sample the goods.
