I'm reading on Wikipedia about Shanghainese foods so I figured maybe I'd just write some of my faves down. Partly just for me to have a list (there's so many things I eat that are quite tasty) and partly because it might benefit someone else! :o) In no particularly order:
1. Dazha xie - translation = hairy crab. I had a banquet with these last night at my aunt and uncle's place. If you're a crab fan, they are a must have. The season is October - January I think, with the best ones being around about now! There's also a male and female season, but I never really know which goes when. Look away if you don't want to know more (it is just a little bit gross):
The way of eating these hairy crabs is actually quite interesting, I had to be "taught" how to eat it. You pull off the top shell exposing the eggs underneath (both male and female have this, I'm not QUITE sure why) and then pull of the bottom under the stomach shell so that you can break the back in half and get to the middle bit. You pull off these little grey tentacley things on the back of the crab (no idea what it is, but you can't eat it. might be lungs?) and then I like to yank the legs off to save for later. The "best part" is the eggs (and if it's a male, and please bear with me as it's kind of gross - the sperm or "gao" which I used to think was a kind of glue... now I know better and... it definitely makes me a bit less of a fan of it...) and you dip that in the sauce (black vinegar and chopped up ginger) and delicious! You also can suck what I think might be the brain of the crab (not sure and don't want to ask) from the top shell. Surprisingly tasty? And then the annoying party of pulling out every last bit of meat from the rest of the crab. The main body part has the best meat, so sometimes I don't really bother with the little legs, just the big clippers.
People have different methods of eating the skinny little legs. My cousin just chomped his way through and spat out the shell. I crunch the shell and then peel it off slowly. And my uncle was proud of his chopstick poking out the meat method. I'd do that but I feel that if I poke around with my chopstick I'll probably hit someone in the eye.
2. Pidan shourou zhou - translation = century egg and lean pork congee. I had this last night with my hairy crab and it was a perfect accompaniment. Century egg are these preserved and they're a kind of browny on the outside and greeny on the inside. They actually look like really moldy eggs (and for the uninitiated might taste a bit like that too to be honest) but they really give the congee a great taste. It's usually a little gingery, but the pork adds a nice flavour, and congee is always deliciously slippery, comforting and just glides down your throat easily.
3. Xiaolong bao - translation = those delicious little thin skinned dumplings filled with pork and sometimes topped with crab roe. I thought the translation was little dragon dumpling, but I read on wiki that it's something else? Confused. Anyway, most people have heard of these I think, but they're the little dumplings that Shanghai is famous for and you bite into them (just a little of the skin off the top), blow on the insides to cool it down, suck out the soup and then gobble down the rest. I find them perfect when they've been sitting on the table a few minutes and have had the chance to cool down.
4. Shengjian mantou - translation = fried pork buns. Similar to the xiaolong bao but with thicker skin (a little bigger too I'd say) and fried instead of steamed. You usually see them in those big wok things with a steamer bamboo lid on top. They're sprinkled with shallots and sesame seeds and they're just FAB. I think it's best to eat them in a similar manner to the xiaolong bao, but note that the skin is a bit thicker.
5. Chou doufu - stinky tofu. Not exactly a fave of mine, but I thought I'd mention it just because of the name! It actually DOES smell pretty bad, so you can always smell it before you see it. It's kind of just fried tofu with a slightly odd taste. I can't quite place it, but it's almost like it's off but then it's not really? A little bland for some people's tastes and a little weird for the not so adventurous. It's also a street snack so who knows about cleanliness? It's possible this might have been what gave me food poisoning for a few days...
That's just the beginning of my food thoughts. Might try and post more when I think of it, but here are some food photos in the meantime. Not of any of the above things (couldn't find any pics, will need to do that!) but still stuff I've eaten in Shanghai.
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