DIM SUM in Shanghai

1) Xiaolongbao  small steamed bun

How to eat:  Eat them fresh when they are hot. Actually suck them, since the tasty soupy stuffing will outside. With shredded ginger and vinegar to enhance the flavor, you will find the buns deserve its fame.

They are loved and respected as the spokesman of the city mark. Shanghainese usually call them “xiaolongbao” are most classical and once it comes the right season, you can also joy crab meat ones.

Where to eat: Nanxiang steamed bun. Guyiyuan Restaurant

2)  Zongzi    Traditional Chinese Rice-pudding

Tips: Grandma from Zhujianjiao ancient town ake dumplong via crafts handed down from ancestors which is famous as “Grandma Zong zi “

Shanghainese love plain rice and meat stuffed Zongzi. The scent of the leaves can be brought out by white sugar and the meat stuffed Zongzi balances the oily meat with light rice.

Where to eat: Wu Fang Zhai     Lv Bo Lang

3) Babaofan  Eight Treasures Rice

How to eat: Babao means eight treasures in Chinese, but actually it just generally refers to the rich stuffing inside the pudding, like lotus weeds, bean paste etc and lard.

It is routine dish on Shanghainese’s festival dining table. Usually plays the finale role on New Year’sEve. To make a Babao Rice Pudding, mostly with lard, when out of the pot, the glutinous rice looks glittering and translucent.

Where to eat: Meixin     Laozhengxing

4) Chunjuan  Spring Roll

How to eat: When it is just out from the oil, the cute golden delicacy lures you to taste the crispy wrapper and soft stuffing. It is hot and you should eat it very carefully. The tip is do not dip the vinegar too much, it may make the skin lose the crisp taste.

Stuffing is carefully mixed and spread on the wrappers. Then it is rolled up and deep fried. In Shanghai, celery cabbage and shredded meat stuffing is most popular. Eating spring rolls when the spring comes is a tradition in Chaina, meaning people are “biting the spring”.

Where to eat:  Wang Jia Sha Snack   Fu Chun Xiao Long

5) Shengjian  Fried Pork Bun

How to Eat: Shanghainese prefer to eat Shengjian accompanied by a bowl of hot beef noodle soup.

Taken from the pan, the fried pork buns bring the smell of meat, scallions and sesame. Now except the pork minced ones, there are also ones with shimp, beef or chicken fillings.

6) Xiao Huntu  Small Dumpling Soup

How to eat: Take the wonton with the soup, drinking them up one after another.

The wonton wrap is as thin as the fine fabric of yarn, you can see the reddish meat stuffing through the skin, pull the wrap together, and drop it into boiling water. The whole process is quick and smooth, Soon all wontons are out and put into a soup mixed by egg, dried small shrimps and laver.

Where to eat:  Guang Ming Cun Restaurant  Shen Da Cheng

7) Jiuniang Yuanzi   Glutinous Rice Balls in Fermented rice Wine

How to eat: Shanhainese like to put an egg in the soup, the egg floating on the soup, looks good and tastes great.

It’s a popular dessert for Shanghainese to enjoy after meals. Sweet osmanthus is often topped to the delicacy before it is finally served.

You will be enchanted with the cute and elastic small balls lying in the sweet fermented rice wine.

8) Shaomai   Rice Pudding

Tip: Shanghai Shaomai is a dessert famous for more than ten decades in Pudong Nanhui Area, spring bamboo shoots and deiced meat filling are most popular.

Shaomai can be bought in many places in Chaina, but only Shanhai’s Shaomai have saused rice as filling and some will add diced meat and mushrooms in additional.

Where to eat:  Xing Hua Lou    Bei Wan Xin