Laowai go Lunar New Year food shopping and tuck in
Print Edition
I had my Chinese Lunar New Year dinner couple of weeks early. Given that all the affordable restaurants and hotels were booked months ahead of time for the traditional nian ye fan (年夜饭) gathering, kick-starting the Year of the Horse a wee bit before the actual fireworks made perfect sense.
Even as the devout among us frowned at the idea, I reasoned that the festive spirit was already in the air, and it was all about making hay while the sun shines — literally. So on a rare, sunny January morning, I, along with a colleague, ventured out to do what the locals do at this time of the year.
To those who don’t have an invitation to a Chinese family reunion dinner, the best thing to do is to follow their trail. After all, all festivals lead to the same end result — sharing goodwill and splurging on anything remotely delectable.
We decided on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street where the modern and the traditional East and West blend in a rainbow of colors. The crowd was already out and it mattered little that we were just two other laowai (foreigners) in the herd, bristling with joyous excitement.
We head straight to 630 Nanjing Road E. The Sanyang Food Store could well be any other store but this one has a tinge of history attached to it. Dating back to 1870, it was apparently the creation of Zhejiang Province natives who settled down in the city. It was intended to keep them in touch with their gourmet tastes but I reckon it could also have been a great meeting point of common interests.
Sanyang can best be described as a finer version of our everyday grocery store but this one hits the highs during festival time. Understandably, it is crammed with people staring down at things sweet and sour, dried plums and sesame candies, preserved meat, mushrooms and shrimps, dim sums, et al.
Even now, we are told, they sell Ningbo-style snacks but the fine line on what constitutes local and non-native has thinned down the years.
The shop assistants are largely middle-aged men and women and the throng of buyers crowding the stalls are of the same age as well. Chances are, you may spot a few worldly wise travelers curious about details, but the possibility of seeing the trendy and the haute couture crowd here is as good as negligible. That gives Sanyang a distinct identity of its own as it strives to retain its old-world charm; many shoppers are drawn by nostalgic feelings.
The much younger crowd prefer the Shanghai No. 1 Food Store close by that covers four floors in a heritage building. Most of the stuff on sale here are similar to Sanyang but it has a “department store” feel to it with signs clearly marked out in English, including one that directs you to “sugar-free products” that surely helps!
If gourmet is what interests you, this is one fascinating place, an amazing journey in Chinese culinary art. Name them and you will find it here — sea cucumbers, mushroom, bracket fungus, shellfish, fruits, seeds, nuts, meats, with pork products among the hot sellers.
Shanghai delicacies and snacks made of peanuts, almonds and other nuts are packaged in beautiful and eye-catching boxes that can be almost difficult to ignore. They do make for a nice souvenir.
Travel agencies have spotted a market and tour packages that include nian ye fan at high-end restaurants are a hot sell. A bit of sightseeing and pleasure and carefully crafted travel plans ensure the year starts off on a perfect footing.
After nearly a day-long lesson in all things Shanghainese, we head for the Le Royal Meridian Shanghai hotel to feed our fantasies. Boiled black fungus flavored with chili thrilled the taste buds, while pork marinated in spices with jelly, and steamed bun stuffed with preserved ham in honey sauce, were equally scrumptious.
In India, the festival of lights, or Diwali, is also best expressed through the medium of food, especially sweets. It is this time that the kitchen dominates the household and mothers and cooks perk up our palates, and family members and relatives ensure that snack-making becomes a part of the larger social activity.
No visit or welcoming is complete without an offering of sweetmeats. It is a time to stuff ourselves in the hope that the coming days of the year will be equally bountiful.
Feasts and festivals are a feature of all major religions and cultures. They bind us in a common cause. What could be more important?
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
