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July 28, 2012

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Popular tastes linger only in old memories

TIMES change; tastes change. While many local specialties endure the test of time, others have faded from the scene. We revive two recipes that survive only in the memories of people who once enjoyed them.

Brined eggs

Several decades ago, families in Minhang commonly made pickles at home. Once the pickles were done, the brine was used to boil eggs so that the salty, vinegary taste permeated the yolks, turning them light black.

The result was incredibly tasty and provided a nice side dish to rice in leaner economic times.

But nowadays, most people regard brined eggs as too salty and harmful to the health. They are hard to find anymore.

Crab pancake

About half a century ago, juvenile crab pancakes were a standard dish in Minhang.

Every April, juvenile crabs were easily caught along the shores of the Huangpu River in Minhang. People ground up the tender crab, which were as small as coins, into a paste and mixed it with eggs. The mixture was then grilled as a pancake.

Zhang Naiqing, former director of Minhang District Library, said in his book "Memories of Old Minhang" that the juvenile crab pancake was "extremely tasty with a vinegar and sesame oil dip."

Juvenile crabs became extinct in Minhang in the 1960s as economic development changed the environment. The special pancakes disappeared with the crabs.


 

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