Shanghai cuisine

Seafood is also a prominent feature of Shanghai cuisine, with fish, crab, and chicken being made "drunken" using spirits and brisk cooking techniques.

Presentation is also a key aspect of Shanghai cuisine, with ingredients being meticulously cut and arranged to create a harmonious color scheme.

Interestingly, in the early 20th century, Shanghai families did not regularly include fish in their daily meals despite the city being a port town.

Families would only consume meat or fish four times a month, on the second, eighth, sixteenth, and twenty-third days, which were known as dang hun.

Today, with greater awareness of nutrition, there is a higher demand for low-sugar and low-fat foods, and more vegetables are being incorporated into diets to promote healthier eating habits.

[citation needed] After 1930, as Shanghai's industry and commerce rapidly developed, the main customers of Benbang cuisine were an emerging class of workers.

In the later part of the 19th century, after Shanghai became a major domestic and international trading port, Benbang dishes underwent substantial change.

Many of them are influenced by Cantonese, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang cuisine, and through historical precipitation[clarification needed], these breakfasts have slowly become favorites of people in Shanghai today.

The most classic Shanghai breakfast is called "The Four Warriors" (四大金刚; 四大金剛; Sìdà Jīngāng; sy⁵ du⁶ cin¹ kaon¹).