Spring flavors of Shanghai

Updated: Feb 7, 2023 shhuangpu.gov.cn Print

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This seasonal delicacy is offered in the Huangpu district of Shanghai. [Photo/WeChat ID: shhuangpu]

On the surface, the noodles made from a kind of fish called coilia nasus – also known as the Chinese tapertail anchovy – are nothing more than ordinary noodles placed in a simple bowl of soup.

However, the appearance of it in the time-honored brand Laobanzhai restaurant in Huangpu district has delighted many folks in East China's Shanghai for years and years.

The highly favored seasonal dish was offered on Feb 5 during the Lantern Festival this year and will normally last to April and May. At this time of the year, the fish are at their fattest and their bones are the softest.

The Chinese tapertail anchovy grows to 41 centimeters in length. [Photo/WeChat ID: shhuangpu]

To prepare the soup involves a number of processes. Boiling a pot of the gourmet soup usually starts at midnight, with selected ingredients including pig feet, chicken and shiitake mushrooms.