Beggar's Chicken: The most popular Shanghai culinary

By Vijay Aditya: Shanghai cuisine is actually a modification of the cuisines of the adjacent provinces like Jiangsu and Zhejiang and it does not have a definitive cuisine of its own.

The favors of these provinces are actually refined to bring in that typical Shanghai taste. They are basically heavier and oilier in comparison to the Cantonese cuisines.

The uniqueness of the Shanghai cuisine stems from the fact that it makes a liberal use of alcohol. The manner in which sugar is used in combination with soy sauce lends the distinctive flavor of the Shanghai cuisine recipes.

The 'sweet and sour spare ribs' is one such unique dish that often surprises the people residing outside of the land, when they are told that sugar is the only secret ingredient in this dish.

The traditional recipes make use of the coastal food like Eel, crab, various species of fish and chicken. They are then 'drunken' with spirits and cooked or steamed. You would often find them served raw. Then, there are the typical salted meats that are served in conjunction with the preserved vegetables in order to appropriately accompany the respective dish.

The most popular culinary creation of Shanghai is Beggar's Chicken. It has acquired a legendary status. It is uniquely presented in a delicate wrapping of the lotus leaves. They are covered in clay before being placed in an oven.

The dish takes shape in the steam and in the olden days, it was actually baked by placing in the oven built under the ground. Then, you have the 'hairy crab', the 'eight treasure duck', braised eel and yellow fish.

A wide assortment of breads, noodles and dumplings happen to be the staple food instead of rice. In Shanghai cuisine, the meats and vegetables are stewed in a method that is referred to as 'red cooking'.

Shanghai has been witnessing rapid growth and development and is counted amongst the leading East Asian cities in this part of the world.

The contemporary culture in a cosmopolitan setup that is characterized by a financial surge in regard to the rapid progress of the area promises a bright future for Shanghai cuisine.

(Published with the permission of author)