Shanghai is also a paradise for gourmets. As a modern city, Shanghai has attracted a great number of expert chefs from other parts of China, and has become one of China's gastronomic centres of the eight major styles of Chinese cuisine. There are over a thousand restaurants serving the famous 16 styles of Chinese food, such as Beijing, Sichuan, Guangdong, Yangzhou, Fujian, etc.

Through years of culinary practice and the assimilation of the art and skills in other styles of cuisine, Shanghai chefs have also created a style of cuisine peculiar to the region. Shanghai dishes are characterized by the use of heavy and highly flavoured sauce. Cooked in deep fat and soy sauce, the food is palatable and retains its primary for braising with red sauce, stir-frying, simmering, deep-frying and pan-frying.

Vegetarian cuisine in Shanghai has also been highly developed. Taking vegetables, bean products, dried mushrooms, fungus and bamboo shoots as major ingredients, chefs make savoury dishes resembling non-vegetarian ones only without the smells of meat and fish, which are frowned upon by the vegetarians. The skills of the chefs are often marvelled by the diners.

With the increasing contacts between Shanghai and other parts of the world, more and more tourists from abroad are coming to visit this city. With a view to suiting the palate of these visitors, western-styled restaurants have been set up for their selection. There are also French, Russian, Italian, English, German, Japanese, Indian and other kinds of foreign flavoured cuisines, genuine Muslim food and vegetarian food. In Shanghai you can have a taste of all the different kinds of food in the world.

Over the years Shanghai has become a city that excells at bringing together many different kinds of cuisine. This wonderfully modern and fashionable city has excellent European Continental cuisine in stylish restaurants such as "M" on the Bund and French, German and American cuisine are widely available here. There are a couple of excellent Indian restaurants in the Tandoor and Hazara. Italian, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Vietnamese and even Brazilian and Cajun cuisine are also on offer here and the style and decor in many of the city's best places such as Face and Ali YYs, is beautiful and unique.

Beyond the various cuisine of the world, Shanghai is a center for the culinary culture of China. Bifengtang is a great chain serving delicious Cantonese cuisine. Beijing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Fujian, Chaozhou, Henan, Anhui, Hunan as well as vegetarian and Xinjiang cuisine are all available with exceptionally high quality and authenticity in this city. Shanghainese cuisine too can be very delicious and 1221 is a beautiful place to sample the city's unique dishes. Explore our dining index for the best that Shanghai has to offer.

Some of the best and most interesting culinary offerings one can find in Shanghai include: Nanxiang Steamed Pork Dumplings, Local River Crabs, Vegetarian Steamed Buns, Chicken and Duck Blood Soup, and Niangao with Spare Ribs.

Shanghai's world-spanning culinary styles, superior dining environments, cosmopolitan atmosphere and high quality of service make the city a heaven for all those who crave variety and excitement on their plate.

Songjiang Perch
The perch from Songjiang County near Shanghai became popular throughout China as early as the Northern Wei and Eastern Jin periods. It has a history of about 1,700 years. The flesh of the fish tastes best around the Winter Solstice. Among the noted perch dishes that have been acclaimed as the "delicacies of southeast China", there are 'Perch with Chives', 'Perch Potage' and so on.

Longhua Honey Peach
This peach is one of the best species found in China. It was originally produced only in the area around the Longhua Temple. Now the growing area has been expanded to Huajing region. There are two varieties of this peach: one is round and the other, flat. But both of them have thin skin, fine flesh, fragrant aroma and a sweet and juicy taste. The fruit is in season from July through August.

Chongming Crab and Dianshan Lake Crab
These crabs breed in the sea but live in fresh water. Situated at the mouth of the Changjiang River, Chongming Island has numerous bays and its streams and creeks crisscross the island. These physical features provide favourable conditions for crab rearing. In fact, Chongming abounds in crabs and has won the name of the "Island of Crabs". Though weighing not more than three or four liang (150-200 grams) each, the crab is plump and tasty. The crab found in the Dianshan Lake in Qingpu County is characterized by its plumpness and bigness. Each can weigh as much as half a jin (250 grams). This regional crab can match the Dazha crab reared in the Yangcheng Lake in Changshu County of Jiangsu Province.

Nanxiang Steamed Dumplings
Well-known in the country, the dumpling is a traditional delicacy of Nanxiang Town on the outskirts of Shanghai. With thin and translucent crust and meat filling, it is small and dainty. Eight dumplings weigh about one liang (50 grams). As it is cooked and served in a small bamboo steamer, it is nicknamed "Dumpling in a Small Steamer". It is juicy and tasty especially when it is eaten with vinegar.