民以食為天 Sustenance, the Hallowed Primacy of the Populace
Part Two of Shanghai Impression 2023
“Have you eaten?” was the most common greeting among Chinese people, for as long as I could remember. It presented two indisputable facts: food was the essential foundation of life, and being able to have regular meals was a sign of living a good life.
That remained true until sometime in the 1980s. Things started to change, at least in the big cities.
Food is still very important and still occupies the “life is good” list, but having a full stomach is no longer the only sign of living a good life.
Having Chinese DNA in my blood, eating and observing (one could only eat so much in eight days) the food scene was an important part of my Shanghai trip. I am not a food critic and I usually run out of sensory words when describing food. So I am going to let the photos (captured by my phone) do most of the description in this post.
Street Foods
I call them my Chinese “soul food”, the ones that I dreamed about and yearned for while living outside of China.
These could be ordered from the street corner stores serving mostly everyday working people and a simple meal costed less than a couple of dollars. Nowadays, they could also be ordered on the Internet and delivered to any address.
Scallion pancake was one of my favorites - $0.80 a piece, piping hot and full of the fragrance of green scallions (video credit to my cousin Sabrina).
Then there was another favorite of mine (street food) made and served in my hotel breakfast - pan-fried pancakes 煎餅果子.
I wished I had a ruminant stomach with multiple compartments.
Fusions with Innovation
Then there came the new generation of “street food”.
This next store is a nice segue into something very new (at least to me, someone who had not visited the city for eight years): Coffee shops.
Coffee and Beyond
When I was a schoolgirl, there were two types of coffee - the instant kind, and the kettle-brewed kind. Both of which I had in my mom’s kitchen - in the 70s and 80s of the last century China, it couldn’t get more petty bourgeoisie than a coffee kettle brewing on your stovetop! I don’t remember the taste of the coffee but that sentiment was carved in my memory.
Fast forward to about 20 years ago, when I returned to Shanghai for the first time since my early 1989 departure, Starbucks was the thing. A Grande Cafe Latte would cost the same price as in the US, several times what would cost a bowl of soy milk or a pot of tea. Starbucks was for the new elite class.
Now in 2023, Shanghai is a city with over 7,000 coffee shops flourishing in its streets, more than Paris, London, and New York City combined. Yes, you read it right, more than 7,000 places offering various types of beans, brewing methods, drinks, decors, and of course, prices - from the Starbucks Reserve Shanghai Roastery with a coffee bar larger than its mothership Seattle store, to single storefront squeezed in between convenience stores and fruit stands and with electric and broadband fiber wires dangling in front of the window; from industry-like minimalist decor to cozy home-office setting. They serve coffees with names like “sour apple” and “sunny-side up” (literally with a sunny-side up fried egg floating on top of espresso crema), and from cold-brew to pour-over to siphon.
My inner coffee snob was in heaven while praying the excessive amount of caffeine would not spoil my beauty sleep.
The Dichotomy of Affordability
Apparently, inequality is not reserved for capitalism alone. In a market-driven economy, inequality persists—whether in democratic or authoritarian systems. Depending on whom you ask, the government is either doing too little or too much about it, there is never a “cure”.
Within the confines of my budget, I ventured out into the high-end food scene with my sister as the guide. We made a conscious effort to stay within a $250 per meal limit.
Before I left for my Shanghai trip, I wanted to pay a visit to Ningbo, a seaside city south of Shanghai. Its seafood-centered cuisine is famous for being aromatic, salty, and rich in umami. My maternal grandfather was from a small (and impoverished) fishing village in Ningbo. He did most of the everyday cooking after my grandmother passed away a couple of years before I departed for the States. His cooking always employed the simplest and most common ingredients. Whenever my mind wandered back to our garden house, the saltiness and pungent smell of Grandpa’s cooking would come alive. I wanted my taste buds to transport me back to that time. Instead of a day trip, my sister took me to a high-end Ningbo restaurant in Shanghai with a promise that one meal would satisfy my emotional and culinary longing.
And I experienced how something so humble and ordinary could be made extravagant.
Braised mustard green when accompanied by swimming goldfish (for the esthetic effect only), its status was instantly elevated.
Then there was the Paul Pariet restaurant Mr. & Mrs. Bund where the sparkling night scene of the BUND outside the dining room window and the restaurant’s avant-garde French cuisine elevated each other.
On the same prestige block (in terms of real estate and historical significance), there was the Sheng Yong Xing, serving Michelin Star-rated Peking duck that came with an ID pendant and a QR code to verify its upbringing.
Such an elevated dining scene was certainly not for the everyday working people.
Not too distant from the BUND, a residential cafeteria sat on the far end of the affordability spectrum. A district food program subsidized by the local government, it served residents —mostly retired elderly and the unemployed populations—and their guests (who had to pay slightly higher prices) of the district. The prices per item ranged from less than a dollar to about $3. $5 could provide a satisfying meal for the ordinary hungry people.
I should feel reassured knowing that, at least for the less fortunate in big cities like Shanghai, there was a food safety net. And yet, I was unsettled with the shocking disparity that existed in something as basic as the food on the table. Is this what we call “social capitalism”?
In the end, I am not sure which sentiment won.
The title of this post came from The Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty considered the father of Chinese historiography. That was just the second half of the complete statement:
Populace, the hallowed primacy of a Kingdom; sustenance, the hallowed primacy of the populace.
司马迁《史记》- 王者以民人为天, 民人以食为天
This is the 2nd essay on my recent trip to Shanghai. You can read the first one here, and the third and last one here. Let me know what you think.
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Shanghai is certainly a charming city. The high end restaurant surely is pricy. The food is presented artfully which is pleasing to the eyes, but hurtful to the wallet. :):)
Thanks for sharing these mouthwatering moments from your trip – it’s like a virtual feast for the senses! Your unique perspective, being both a former Shanghai local and a visitor, adds depth to your exploration of the city. It’s a wonderful trip through the vibrant tapestry of Shanghai’s life and flavors.