I think Shanghai is a real food capital. Some people may question this conclusion. After all, Shanghai is famous for its Shanghai cuisine and all kinds of delicious snacks. But what I want to say is that compared with other cities' cuisines, the variety and quality of Shanghai's cuisines always seem a little thin and unsatisfactory. First of all, let's take a look at the mainstream cuisine in Shanghai-Shanghai cuisine. This kind of food occupies the main share of Shanghai food market, but it is precisely for this reason that the types of Shanghai food are relatively single. Whether it is an old brand or a newly opened store, most of the dishes are based on traditional Shanghai-style crafts, and there has not been much change. Compared with Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Guangdong cuisine and Hunan cuisine in other cities, Shanghai cuisine is not so diverse in taste, so it is difficult to pick out unforgettable delicacies.
Secondly, although there are many kinds of snacks in Shanghai, the quality is uneven. As a city with rich food culture, Shanghai has numerous well-known snacks, including famous steamed buns and glutinous rice chicken, food stalls, vegetable rice porridge, fried ghosts and so on. However, with the continuous improvement of commercialization, many snack bars use inferior raw materials and even add some unhealthy seasonings to highlight their unique taste in order to meet the market demand. This not only affects the taste of snacks, but also may threaten people's health.
Finally, although there are many restaurants in Shanghai, most of them are luxury brands. Compared with the established teahouses and restaurants in Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and other local cuisines, most high-end restaurants in Shanghai are western-style restaurants, which are expensive and unbearable for ordinary people. Without the pursuit of luxury, it is difficult for Shanghainese to experience the food culture of their own city. Generally speaking, as a global city, Shanghai has not been effectively protected in terms of taste and cultural precipitation due to the exaggeration of western food culture, and has no outstanding advantages.
Therefore, in my mind, Shanghai is a gourmet desert. Of course, Shanghai still has a long way to go. I believe that more new food varieties will be born in the future, or more restaurants will provide delicious and affordable food for the public. But the reality is that many profit-driven businesses pursue short-distance interests, online celebrities and trends, but high-quality and healthy buildings are not their pursuit.
In a word, food is a cultural card of a city and an important symbol of its development. The real food desert does not mean that there is no food, but there is no satisfactory food. Only by constantly improving the quality and keeping the taste and culture precipitated can the food culture become more colorful and bring more satisfaction and support to people.