Shanghai can definitely be considered a food desert.

The reasons are as follows: 1. Shanghai’s delicacies are hidden in alleys, not easy to find, and not cheap.

For those who have just arrived in Shanghai, it will be difficult to find affordable and delicious fast food without the help of locals.

Moreover, the quality of takeaway food in Shanghai is not high, and many shops just make it casually without distinction or quality.

2 Shanghai’s local cuisine is not popular.

Many people think that Shanghai’s local cuisine is too sweet, greasy, and salty, and lacks the refreshing and delicious flavor.

Shanghai's traditional snacks such as xiaolongbao, braised pork and pan-fried buns have also been criticized for not being sophisticated and innovative.

Shanghai's long-established restaurants have also been accused of being unpalatable and expensive.

3 Shanghai lacks the special cuisines and flavors of other places.

Many people believe that Shanghai is an international metropolis and should have a variety of food for people to choose from.

However, Shanghai’s food culture has not well integrated and absorbed the characteristics and advantages of other places.

For example, Shanghai does not have representative restaurants of Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and other major cuisines like Beijing.

Shanghai also does not have hot pot, chuanchuan, maocai and other snacks and late-night snacks like Chengdu.

Shanghai also does not have as rich and fresh seafood and morning tea as Guangzhou.

4 Shanghai’s food has not developed its own characteristics and brands.

Shanghai's cuisine does not highlight its own regional characteristics and cultural heritage, but imitates and draws on cuisines and styles from other places.

For example, Shanghai's local cuisine is considered to be a variant of Huaiyang cuisine, and Shanghai's snacks are considered to be copies of Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and other places.

Shanghai's food has not formed its own brand or logo, making it difficult for people to recognize it at a glance.

5 Shanghai’s food has not kept up with the changes and needs of the times.

Shanghai's food has not been innovative and progressive, but stuck in the same old routines and tastes of the past.

For example, local cuisine in Shanghai is considered to be a dish suitable for the elderly and conservative people, and does not attract young people and fashionable people.

Snacks in Shanghai are considered to be nutritionally unbalanced and unhealthy foods that do not meet modern people's health awareness and eating habits.

6 Shanghai’s food has not received enough promotion and publicity.

Shanghai’s delicacies have not been effectively displayed and disseminated to the outside world, but have been buried in the bustling and noisy urban life.

For example, Shanghai's local cuisine is considered to be a dish that only locals know and like, and does not impress outsiders and foreigners.

Snacks in Shanghai are considered to be food that can only be sold at street stalls and small shops, not food that enters high-end restaurants and large shopping malls.

The reasons why Shanghai has become such a food desert are also very complicated. Let me briefly analyze it: 1. Shanghai’s historical status has affected the development of its food.

As the most important commercial and financial center in China's modern history, Shanghai has attracted immigrants and businessmen from all over the country and the world.

These people brought with them a variety of eating habits and tastes, making Shanghai's cuisine diversified and mixed.

Shanghai has not formed its own independent and complete cuisine, but has borrowed and integrated cuisines from other places, such as Huaiyang cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Western food, etc.

Although such delicacies have enriched the dietary choices of Shanghainese, it also makes Shanghai's delicacies lack characteristics and recognition, making it difficult to form its own brand and influence.

2 Shanghai’s cultural atmosphere affects the quality of its food.

As the largest city in China, Shanghai has a fast-paced and high-stress lifestyle.

These have affected Shanghainese's needs and attitudes towards food, making them pay more attention to the convenience and affordability of food rather than the sophistication and innovation of food.

Therefore, Shanghai’s food is often based on fast food, snacks, and takeaways, rather than high-end restaurants and large restaurants.

Although this kind of food meets the basic needs of Shanghainese people, it also makes Shanghai's food lack quality and standards, making it difficult to achieve high-level aesthetics and enjoyment.

3 Shanghai’s political environment has affected the spread of its cuisine.

As one of the most important political and economic centers in China, Shanghai has experienced many political changes and social turmoil.

These have affected the inheritance and development of Shanghai cuisine, causing some traditional gastronomy skills and culture to be interrupted or forgotten, and some outstanding gastronomy talents were forced to leave or change careers.

Therefore, it is difficult for Shanghai's food to form a stable and sustainable development system, and it is also difficult to display and promote its food culture and value to the outside world.