BJ Macatulad

With the help of my Shanghainese colleagues, I’ve compiled a list of 25 things to eat in Shanghai that we love, for food pilgrims to experience what eating is like in our city.

The most oft-repeated statistic about New Zealand is that the country has 4 million people and 40 million sheep. No matter where you go in New Zealand, you will find lamb on the menu, cooked in every way imaginable, and it will be unfailingly delicious.

Lumping this polymorphous staple of Chinese cuisine into one generic term is much like saying your favorite hue is “color” — there are literally endless variations and it would be impossible for one single description to embody all the different types of dumplings that exist in the multiple regions of the Middle Kingdom.

Pavlova is a meringue-like dessert made from egg whites beaten stiff with caster sugar and cornstarch, baked just enough to have a crisp outer shell but a soft, gooey inside. It is topped with whipped cream and fruit, especially kiwifruit and summer berries.

If you ask for pepperoni pizza, you’ll get something vegetarian. This is because pepperoni in Italian is plural for green pepper. Ask for salami in your pizza instead.

Croatia offered up the most wonderful scenery and historical architecture, the most varied culinary pleasures and arguably the lowest price tags, and the nicest people.

Croatia is bounded by water along its southern coast, so it is no surprise that seafood takes pride of place among its most celebrated dishes.

Chiavalon is considered by many locals to be the best olive oil brand in Istria, which is a very lofty compliment given that Istrian olive oil — while less well-known than its peers in Italy or Spain — is recognized by food industry insiders as among the world’s best.