Shanghai cuisine, sometimes known as Hu cuisine, is a popular style of Chinese food Shanghai cuisineis closely related to those of the surrounding provinces – Jiangsu and Zhejiang – and taken together these are known in China as Benbang cuisine (local cuisine). Shanghai cuisine is epitomized by the use of alcohol. Fish, crab, chicken are "drunken" with spirits and are briskly cooked, steamed, or served raw. Salted meats and preserved vegetables are also commonly used to enhance the dish. Sugar is also very common in Shanghai cuisine, especially when used in combination with soy sauce.
The most notable dish of this type of cooking is "sweet and sourspare ribs". As Shanghai faces the East China Sea, seafood is very popular in the region. However, due to its location among the rivers, lakes, and canals of the Yangtze Delta, locals favour freshwater produce just as much as saltwater products like crabs, oysters, and seaweed. The most notable local delicacy is Shanghai hairy crab.
Shanghai people are known to eat in delicate portions so servings are usually quite small. For example, notable types of baozi from Shanghai such as xiaolongbao and the shengjian mantou are usually about four centimetres in diameter, much smaller than the typical baozi ormantou elsewhere.
Some popular Shanghai cuisines: Four Heavenly Kings; Chinese mitten crab; Crispy chicken; Scallion stewed crucian carp, etc.