As the Chinese New Year approaches, Shanghai's streets begin to fill with the familiar scents of the season. Markets bustle with shoppers, and long-established food shops display their classic treats. This guide highlights some of the city's most cherished Chinese New Year foods and the places where locals continue to buy them, year after year.

Eight-treasure rice pudding

A traditional dessert served as the last course of a Chinese New Year meal, eight-treasure rice pudding, also known as babaofan, is made from glutinous rice blended with lard, sweet red bean paste, and an assortment of dried fruits and nuts. Xinghualou's version follows a traditional method, with soft, aromatic rice, smooth bean paste, and a rich yet balanced sweetness. It is often associated with reunion and good fortune, making it a popular Chinese New Year purchase.

• Where to buy: Xinghualou, No 343 Fuzhou Road, Huangpu district

Butterfly-shaped puff pastry

This flaky, caramelized pastry is known for its layered structure and strong butter aroma. At Huadian Cake, located in Shanghai First Foodhall on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the pastries are freshly baked on site and sold throughout the day. Crisp on the outside and light inside, they are commonly bought in bulk during the holiday, either for guests or as an everyday snack at home.

• Where to buy: Huadian Cake, Shanghai First Foodhall, No 720 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu district

Mung bean cake

A long-standing Shanghai pastry made from peeled mung beans and glutinous rice flour. Shen Da Cheng's mung bean cakes are finely textured and mildly sweet, often described as "melting" on the palate. The brand's Chinese New Year gift boxes typically include classic and pistachio flavors. The word "cake" sounds similar to the word for "high" in Chinese, symbolizing progress and good fortune.

• Where to buy: Shen Da Cheng, No 636 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu district

White Rabbit candy

Few treats are more closely tied to childhood memories of Chinese New Year than White Rabbit candy. The milk-based sweet, wrapped in edible rice paper, has been a holiday staple for generations. Today, the brand offers assorted gift boxes featuring multiple flavors and small plush accessories, often shared among family members during festive gatherings.

• Where to buy: White Rabbit Store, No 100 East Nanjing Road, Huangpu district

Sesame balls

A deep-fried glutinous rice snack coated in white sesame seeds and filled with sweet red bean paste. Crispy on the outside and chewy inside, sesame balls are especially popular with older generations but remain widely loved. They are often reheated at home and served warm, adding a familiar, street-level feel to the Chinese New Year table.

• Where to buy: White Magnolia Cake, 1F, Huilian Commercial Building, Nos 40-90 Tianyaoqiao Road, Xuhui district

Source: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce