The Traveleaters

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.

Ropa Vieja is a classic comfort food for every Cuban, and an experience every traveler must try on their trip to this vibrant island.

Magiritsa is the opening meal that breaks the Greek Orthodox fast (Lent). Dense and filling, the soup is traditionally prepared on Holy Saturday evening and served right after Easter midnight church service.

Tumpeng is kind of a sacred meal for Indonesians. Its cone shape (usually, but not exclusively, made from rice and urab) is golden yellow and represents the island.

Fried rice is believed to have started as a means to deal with leftovers, specifically meat and vegetables from yesterday that have passed their prime but are still good to consume. The standard ingredients are generally shrimp, pork, and egg, which are stir-fried in chopped garlic and vegetables, and seasoned with soy sauce.

Tom yum goong is a hot and sour shrimp soup generally touted as the dish that defines Thai cuisine. It’s derived from the Thai words “tom,” which refers to the boiling process, “yam,” a Thai spicy and sour salad, and “goong” for shrimp.

Ginja is a very sour, almost bitter, type of cherry. It grows particularly well in the valley region of Sobral da Lagoa in the council of Óbidos. It began to be used for liquor production in Lisbon in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until 1987 that Dário Pimpão created the recipe that is still famous in Óbidos today.

Vietnam has long been well-known for having over 3,000 km of coastline and many stunning beaches. With white sands, crystal clear waters, breathtaking sunrise and sunset scenes, and the best places for water sports, this country is an ideal destination for beach lovers.

The main reason cepelinai is so fatty is that it was meant to feed hungry workers or to help survive cold winters. The crazy thing is that cepelinai was named after Graff von Zeppelin because those dumplings look just like the airship he invented.

Krabi is most definitely a beach paradise, reeling in people from all over the globe for its mix of beauty and culture. Adventure sports, food and natural beauty; this small town offers a little taste of everything. Quite literally though, it offers much more than a taste of the vibrant local food culture.