Almost all visitors say they want authentic Chinese food, the real thing, the real deal. They want to eat where the locals chow down -- well, some of the time.
Most of the time, however, they miss the genuine article, the fascinating specialties, for lack of time or information.
Food is more enjoyable when you know the stories behind it. The stories go better with the food, too, but guidebooks don't tell many tales.
In old times, people rose in revolution for lack of food. Officials tried to persuade their emperors to change policies through allegories about food and eating.
Many tales about an emperor's wickedness or stupidity are told through his relationship to food, gluttony, for example. Many Chinese sayings and proverbs refer to foods and alcohol. For example, jiu chi rou lin is widely used to describe a luxurious lifestyle.
The four characters literally mean alcohol (jiu), a pool (chi), meat (rou) and woods (lin), indicating a scene of abundance in which alcohol/wine fills a pool and there are so many sticks of barbecued meat that they form a forest.
And there are authentic, small eateries offering specialties that even most locals don't know about. The decrepit hole-in-the-wall eatery with delicious magical food is a fixture in martial arts films and novels. Often it is only known to the hero and his companions.
Sometimes the owner/cook is a retired kung fu master or a criminal on the lam.
In the information era today, it's amazing that many wonderful food spots are still hidden, but their reputation is spread by the oldest media of all, word of mouth. Sometimes only the older generation knows those good eats in dingy places where secret recipes are still used. The owners are usually not kung fu masters or criminals.
There's a legend about renowned writer, poet and politician Zhang Han in the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316 AD) who quit his high government post because he missed the flavorful cuisine from his hometown.
Certainly, the cuisine of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, was just Zhang's excuse to take his leave of the unstable government.
Still, many famous scholars quote this story in their poems and express appreciation for such a romantic decision, abandoning the cutthroat struggle for officialdom and seeking simple pleasures and hometown cooking.
Zhang's hometown Suzhou is less than an hour's drive from Shanghai.
It's a typical city of the Jiangnan region (south of the lower reaches of Yangtze River), famous for splendid gardens and great food.
Emperors traveled there to contemplate in tranquil gardens and eat well.
Here, we offer several interesting food spots, with "secret" eateries for those in-the-know, or charming legends about well-known local specialties.
All are within three hours' drive from downtown Shanghai and accessible by public transport.
Cakes and congee for longevity
Tongli Town in Jiangsu Province, like Zhouzhuang, is a typical watertown and a protected historical site. The town also has a reputation for longevity - many seniors are over 80 years old, a few are nearly 100.
It is surrounded by five lakes and divided into seven islands by 15 rivers. The 49 ancient bridges embody its reputation as the "Small Venice of the East."
Once called Fu Tu (Rich Earth), the town has been home to wealthy businessmen and important figures since ancient times. The residences feature classic Chinese gardens, with winding paths and intricate designs, inspired by water and bridges.
Most residences have stories behind them. The most famous is Tuisi Garden, or the Retreat and Reflection Garden, with 24 buildings, 28 tablets and 15 valuable old trees. The original owner, Ren Lansheng, was an official of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who was sacked for accepting bribes. Legend has it that he was a good civil servant entrapped by his rivals in government.
Ren named the place Tuisi Garden to show his determination to reflect and confess in his elaborate garden, with man-made hills and numerous rare flowers and plants. It is noted for its boatlike pavilion. It can take two hours and a knowledgeable guide to appreciate it.
The garden is so famous that the special cake sold everywhere is named Tuisi cake after the garden.
Most specialties in Tongli are not regular dishes but all kinds of snacks like cakes, dumplings, and congees - perfect for the informal, chilled atmosphere of the watertown.
Min bing, or cake of the Min family, is sold around the world by a Shanghai company. Made by the Min family alone, the cake recipe goes back 400 years. The delicious secret is the stuffing, sweet red bean paste and several mysterious ingredients.
Another notable snack is healthy qianshi grain congee, made of Tongli's specialty qianshi, known as "ginseng in water." Traditional Chinese medical uses it in food therapy to improve immunity, aid digestion, ease the pain of arthritis, among other benefits.
Local residents also attribute the longevity to the special grain.
Marvelous mutton of wisdom
Mutton (sheep, lamb, goat) has always been an important dish. Traditional Chinese medicine recommends mutton in winter, as it's a yang (hot) energy food that boosts your own energy. Winter is the time to build energy.
Many people find the mutton odor disagreeable, even when the meat is cooked with a lot of spices. But the best mutton has no odor, even when it's boiled.
Most people go to Beijing, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region or the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the best, odorless mutton (it comes from castrated sheep and there's no hormone smell).
Mutton isn't as popular in the south, but many small towns near Shanghai have been preparing mutton for centuries, with their unique family recipes.
