Food

Shanghainese people do not usually spend too much time having breakfast, hence breakfast in Shanghai is quite simple. They are used to grabbing some food in small snack stores or having a bowl of pao fan (rice in soup or water) with pickled cucumbers, pickled vegetables or a salty duck egg at home. Shanghai does not have a definitive cuisine of its own, but refines those of the surrounding provinces (mostly from the neighboring coastal provinces of Jiangsuand Zhejiang ). What can be called Shanghai cuisine is epitomized by the use of alcohol.  fish, eel, crab and chicken are "drunken" with spirits and usually served raw. Salted meats and preserved vegetables are also commonly used to spice up the dish.

xiǎolóngbāo 小笼包 

Xiǎolóngbāo  is a type of steamed bun from eastern China, especially Shanghai and Wuxi. It is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets.  Xiǎolóngbāo  are often referred to as soup dumplings or simply dumplings in English, but they are not regarded as "dumplings" in China. Xiǎolóngbāo  is a type of steamed bun that is filled with pork or minced crab, and soup. Although it appears delicate, a good  xiǎolóngbāo  is able to hold in the soup until it is bitten. They are steamed in bamboo baskets and served with black vinegar and in some places, shredded ginger. A common way of eating the  xiǎolóngbāo  is to bite the top off, suck all the soup, then dipping it in vinegar before eating.

Eight Treasures in Spicy Sauce 八宝辣酱 bā bǎo là jiàng

Eight Treasures in Spicy Sauce is one of Shanghai's famous cuisine. The main ingredients are eight different kinds of ingredients of meats, vegetables and fruits which is then mixed and cooked.  As the food ingredients varied, this dish is very rich in color. This dish is moist light, delicious, spicy, sweet and moderately salt in taste. Bā bǎo là jiàng  is stir-fried, keeping the fresh vegetables crunchy; it’s spicy and salty, but with a hint of sweetness. It is great to enjoy it accompanied by other meat dishes and rice. 
A blend of bean sauce and chilli sauce stirred fried with 8 main ingredients:
1. Green soy

2. Bamboo root

3. Diced pork

4. Carrot

5. Cucumber

6. Peanut

7. Bean curd

8. Shrimp meat