Lonely Planet India 19 (Travel Guide)

Shanghai, a vibrant metropolis boasting galleries, museums, and towering skyscrapers, stands as the world’s largest city proper, inhabited by twenty-four million residents and welcoming eight million visitors annually. Dubbed “China’s crown jewel” by Vogue, Shanghai emerges as a burgeoning culinary hub, showcasing a diverse array of international cuisines, innovative fusion creations, and promising chefs pushing culinary boundaries. Amidst its modernity, Shanghai also preserves ancient and rich culinary traditions.

Betty Liu, rooted in Shanghai’s culinary heritage and raised on homestyle Shanghainese cuisine, offers an enchanting exploration of the city and its culinary delights. “My Shanghai” seamlessly blends cookbook, travelogue, and cultural study, delving into the essence of Chinese cuisine—the people, their narratives, and familial customs. Organized by seasons, the book navigates through a year in Shanghai’s culinary landscape, unveiling recipes beyond the conventional, alongside tales illuminating varied communities and their gastronomic rituals.

While Chinese cuisine is often thought devoid of seasonality, Liu unveils how the Shanghainese deeply engage with the seasons, shaping their culinary repertoire based on local harvests from land and sea. Fresh seafood, tender meats, and ripe produce harmonize with spices, yielding an array of refined dishes throughout the year.

“My Shanghai” offers a gateway for all to savor centuries-old homestyle Chinese fare in a contemporary culinary context. Liu demystifies Chinese cooking for home chefs, presenting cherished family recipes passed through generations alongside authentic street food staples. From her mother’s lion’s head meatballs and mung bean soup to her father-in-law’s prized Nanjing salted duck and the iconic red-braised pork belly transformed into gua bao, the book encompasses essentials like high stock, wontons, and fried rice.

With something for every palate, “My Shanghai” features beloved noodle and dumpling classics alongside unexpectedly light dishes. Though steeped in tradition, the recipes within this exceptional volume exude modernity—fresh, dynamic, sophisticated, and brimming with intricate flavors sure to captivate even the most discerning or adventurous eater.