Not A Local Yet

A New Yorker Eating in Shanghai

Being from New York City and growing up in Queens — the borough known as a food lover’s paradise with the best eats from around the world — you would think I have eaten my way through the globe and should feel right at home in this food rich city. As I live my days and nights in Hu through its food, the migrants’ culinary influences and local dishes overwhelm me. In my two-weeks here I’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg on fully understanding Shanghai’s diverse food culture. Luckily enough, I have Shanghainese colleagues who have introduced me to a few traditional delicacies and beloved regional snacks.

One of these delicacies is the not-to-be-missed crustacean, the steamed Hairy Crab (da zha xie). In season from late October to early December, these freshwater creatures seem to be greeting me everywhere I go. A pair of crabs (legs covered with yellow hair) are placed on the table in front of me. My workmate walks me through the laborious process of properly eating these fur-clawed crabs.

— First, pull off the legs.

— Next is the shell. The crab’s underbelly has a little lip that you need to rip off before prying the shell open.

— Once you’ve successfully separated the crab’s body into two solid pieces, use chopsticks to scrape out the meat.

— To eat like a local, feel free to bypass the chopsticks, and suck away to make sure every last bit of the delicious roe is enjoyed.

As I struggle to deconstruct my da zha xie , he offers a helping hand. He proudly mentions that most laowai (slang for foreigner) find eating the whole crab a hassle, missing out on the rich roe found inside. Successfully demonstrating his skills, it’s a mark of status to eat the crab without cracking the shell into multiple pieces — I realize I have a lot to learn before I blend in with the locals.

Of course, there are some local dishes, such as the explosive xiao long bao, which make me feel like a Shanghainese. The ‘little-basket steamed buns’, better known to Americans as soup dumplings, have taken NYC by storm within the last two decades. Over the years I have mastered various styles of eating xiao long bao like a boss. Living like a local, this Shanghai classic has become my go-to midday snack, making me feel right at home.
Thank you SH for soup dumplings!