Small-Group Walking Tour: Shanghai Food Culture with a Culinary Expert

After meeting your expert guide, who has extensive knowledge and professional experience in Shanghai’s food and market industry, begin your walking tour of the New Zhenning Lu Market. Stroll past merchant stalls of this wet market and learn about a variety of topics connected to China’s food culture.

Your guide will teach you about agriculture-centered trading in Guangdong and the role that Anhui salt merchants play in Chinese cuisine. Hear about fundamental food and cooking concepts in China, such as the importance of sharing meals, the emphasis on freshness, the abundance of vegetables and the staple pork in the Chinese diet. Discover the politics of food as you learn about how communism has affected Chinese cuisine from the 20th century to today.

After an hour of exploring the market by foot, follow your guide to nearby Fu 1088, a high-end restaurant where you’ll enjoy an authentic Shanghai meal (for an additional cost). Rated four stars on TripAdvisor, this restaurant, located in a three-story colonial-style mansion and tucked behind an iron gate, offers a sophisticated dining atmosphere, with rooms furnished with cherry wood chairs and elegant chandeliers.

After getting seated in your private room, you will be introduced to the restaurant’s executive chef -- one of the most-celebrated chefs in the city. Then, dig into a luxurious spread of traditional Shanghai specialties carefully chosen by your guide in order to illustrate the concepts you’ve learned throughout your tour.

Although the menu changes daily, some of the dishes you may try include famous xun yu (smoked fish), hongshao rou (succulent braised pork belly) and drunken chicken (marinated and cooked with wine or liquor). As you delight in this delectable meal, enjoy the company of your fellow food lovers and learn more about China’s fascinating food culture from your guide.