The visit to Shanghai will be not complete if you do not taste the traditional snacks of old Shanghai. Here the first 5 lists of famous Shanghai snacks that you must know and can be the recommendation for you when visiting the city.

Nanxiang Steamed Bun
With Thin Skin and Filled Inside Pork Meat

Nanxiang steamed bun or also called Nanxiang Xiao Long Bao has a history of over a hundred years. The bun skin is very thin and its inside is filled with lean pork meat, pork jelly, ground sesame, bamboo shreds and shrimps. Also known as Shanghai soup dumplings, it is crammed with juicy pork, sweet crab, and plenty of delicious broth.
Looking half-transparent, small and delicate, the bun is juicy on each bite. As the most iconic food of Shanghai, Nanxiang Steamed Bun will usually be found near City God Temple. One tips for you before you eat it, be careful when you bite into a xiao long bao, the juicy will be really hot. We recommend taking a bite to let the juices cool.

Tour Recommended: Shanghai Tour
Leisha Dumpling
A Kind of Shanghai Refresh Snacks with Red Soybeans

With a long history over 70 years, Leisha Dumpling which is one of the representative Shanghai snack have the refreshing flavor of red beans. The glutinous rice round-shaped dumpling, filled with sweetened bean paste, pork or sesame. It will be boiled then drained of water and rolled in dry red bean flour.
Why it called Leisha Dumpling? Dating back to Qing Dynasty, an old lady surnamed Lei sold sweet dumplings with soup for a living. In order to sell more dumplings, she tried to find ways to keep the dumplings fresh longer. She tried to coat the dumplings with dry glutinous rice flour, and discovered that red bean flour was the best choice. Therefore, the dumplings are called Leisha dumpling.

Crab Shell Cake
A Kind of Soft and Baked Delicious Cake

The name comes from its color of brown yellow, which looks like a cooked crab shell. Crab Shell Cake is soft, crisp, savoury, aromatic and has the appearance as brown as the colour of a cooked crab. It is a kind of shortbread baked from ferment flour. After roll the dough into round pastries, it will dress with sesame seed. The fillings are salty or sweet fillings include green onions with oil, pork, crabmeat, shrimps, sugar, roses, mashed beans, jujube paste.

Begonia Cake
Baked in A Mould Shaped Like A Begonia Flower

The name comes from its shape of the cake which is baked in a mould shaped like a Begonia flower. Bean paste is wrapped in flour dough and coated with slices of preserved fruits, sunflower seeds, sesame and barley sugar. Famous among old generation in Shanghai, Begonia Cake best served hot with sweet tastes and soft texture.

Tiaotou Cake and Mint Cake
Made From Sticky Rice Flour mixed With Mint

Tiaotou cake, mint cake and double-filling cake are the most popular choices among a wide variety in Shanghai. Made from sticky rice flour mixed with mint, the mint flavor of Mint Cake believe will helps locals cool off the summer heat. Mint Cake will looks attractive with its green color. 
The Tiaotou cake is made of glutinous rice and round-grained rice stuffed with bean paste, and garnished with dried rose petals at the top. The cake is soft in the mouth and typically sweet with it fillings.

In the next article, I will introduce you the other 5 famous Shanghai snacks. May you a happy holiday in Shanghai!