VIP Class Notes (Aurimar)
Today we focused on:
Learning about Shanghainese Cousine
Vocabulary
Succulent: Full of juice or sap; juicy.
E.g., The ribs are succulent.
Braised: To cook meat or vegetables by browning in fat.
E.g., Braised chicken with veggies.
Ubiquitous: Being everywhere at the same time.
E.g., Computers are ubiquitous
Pronunciation
Ubiquitous
yoo·bi·kwuh·tuhs
Reading
Di Shui Dong ribs
These fall-off-the-bone ribs are as succulent as they are tender. Sweetly braised in soy sauce, these put those miniature rib appetizers to utter shame. And, without the small bones found in those ubiquitous appetizers, the meat on these solid ribs can be inhaled in a matter of seconds.
Chicken of the fields: aka frog (田鸡)
Don’t be grossed out. Below that slimy skin lies meat that is superior to chicken in every way. Frog is the soulmate to your cold Tsingtao, and Shanghai’s four-legged answer to the buffalo wing. It’s cheap and plentiful and, because of these qualities, we’ve found that virtually every restaurant line cook can whip up a masterful dish of frog.
Our favorite is the gan shao niu wa at Xiang Li Ba Ba: a large pizza-sized plate piled high with spicy, tender frog, crisped rice cake nubs, potato slices and bamboo. If you’re a beginner try the San Gu Bullfrog.
Grilled oysters (烤生蚝)
Shanghai is sea food foodie heaven and we have an entire street dedicated to oysters, scallops, crawfish (and for cheap!) to prove it. Every vendor on Shouning Lu has a slightly different take on three preparations of grilled oyster: oysters with black bean sauce, oysters with chili oil and garlic, and wannabe French oysters in “cheese” sauce.
You really have to try each tiny shack to find your favorite. Luckily for you, Shouning Lu is open 24 hours a day.
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