Chinese food
A rice parcel with a leaf wrapper
Zongzi look like little leaf parcels. Inside, a cook might put pork, egg yolk or something sweet.
Read the storyChinese food
Regional dishes, tea, cooking and the stories around the table. Chinese cuisines vary by place, community and family.
Chinese food
What would you put in a wonton?
A Shanghai wonton can carry pork, greens and a bit of local history inside its wrapper.
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Chinese food
Can tea have six different families?
Tea is not one flavour in six packets. Chinese tea makers work with different leaves, methods and places, producing far more variety than a single mug suggests.
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Chinese food
Why is it called a crab-shell pastry if there is no crab?
A Shanghai pastry's name describes its shape and colour, not a seafood filling. That is useful to know before choosing between sesame and radish.
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Chinese food
A fried bun with a surprise inside
Some Shanghai pan-fried buns hide hot broth under a crisp base. The soup does not arrive by being poured in afterwards.
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Chinese food
Are festival rice balls always sweet?
A round rice ball might hide sesame, red bean or even meat. Its shape tells you about the festival, but not exactly what you are about to taste.
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Chinese food
Mooncakes can be savoury, too
If you expected every mooncake to be sweet, a Shanghai bakery window would change your mind quickly.
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