Benbangcai (Shanghai local food) refers to folk cuisine originating from the Sanlin and Gaoqiao areas of Shanghai's Pudong New Area. It caters to residents' palates with its unique taste, characteristics, thick oil, red sauce and full flavours. Ingredients are braised, allowing the marinade to penetrate to deliver a rich and long-lingering aftertaste. Due to the strong local ties, such delicacies are flavourful and authentic.

In the past, Shanghai locals entertained guests with the "Old Eight Dishes", which were slightly varied depending on the area. The dishes are called steamed three fresh delicacies, three kinds of slices, old sweet pork, dumplings stuffed with minced meat and egg, sweet osmanthus pork, water bamboo shoots with preserved pork, lily flower and fish, and shallot meat skin soup.

A signature dish in Shanghai – babaoya, or Eight Treasure Duck – whole duck stuffed with eight ingredients, including rice, mushrooms and shrimp. [Photo/WeChat account: shhplyj]

Steamed three fresh delicacies. [Photo/VCG]

Three kinds of slices. [Photo/VCG]

Shallot meat skin soup. [Photo/WeChat account: fengxian310226]

Source: "shhplyj" WeChat account