The cuisine of eastern China tends to revolve around Shanghai and the surrounding provinces of Zhejiang， Jiangxi， Anhui and Jiangsu. Although Shanghai cuisine is often spoken of， it"s hard to define because it"s derived from the surrounding areas. The fertile plains of the Yangtze River offer a rich variety of fish and produce. The style of cooking tends to be lighter than in the west and north. Relatively refined soups， braised and stir-fried dishes flavored with ginger， dark soy sauce， Shaoxing wine and rice vinegar are balanced by using sugar. Look for “red-stewed” （“Do 红烧） foods， especially red-stewed pork （hóngshāo肉 红烧肉）， a specialty of the region.
Seafood and fish are important components in eastern cuisine. Try shrimp cooked with tea leaves and garnished with vinegar， frog stewed with mushrooms， clams stir-fried with scallions， or crab coated with salted egg yolk and deep fried. Steamed freshwater hairy crab from Yangcheng Lake is a much sought after specialty that"s in peak season in October and November. The rich， creamy and intensely flavored roe of the crab is the most luxurious part， though be prepared to get your hands messy extracting the meat.
A must try are Shanghai steamed dumplings （小lóng bāo 小笼包） served with vinegar for dipping. They are often found in street market food stalls as well as in restaurants. This Shanghai standard is sometimes elevated to luxury status with the addition of crabmeat or hairy crab roe.
Ten Representative Eastern Dishes：Beggar"s chicken （jiào花激 叫化鸡） – traditionally a whole chicken flavored with Shaoxing wine， it is first wrapped in lotus leaves then with clay and cooked in a fire.
Dongpo pork （dōngpō肉 东坡肉） – named after the distinguished poet Su Dongpo of the 11th century， this is a red-stewed， braised pork dish， succulent and rich， usually cooked in an earthenware vessel.
Dragon Well tea prawns （lóngjǐngxiā 龙井虾） – prawns cooked with fresh Dragon Well tea leaves， a specialty in the Hangzhou region.
Hot and sour soup （suān là táng 酸辣汤） – deliciously spicy with a tinge of vinegar， this soup is filled with slivers of meat， tofu， bamboo shoots and egg.
Lion"s head meatballs （shīzǐtóu 狮子头） – these meatballs are said to resemble a “lion"s head” accompanied by a “mane” of bok choy， made with pork， deep fried and braised in a rich brown sauce.
Red-stewed pork （hóngshāo肉 红烧肉） – braised pork leg dish made with Shaoxing rice wine， dark soy sauce， five-spice powder and rock sugar.
Sweet and sour pork （gǔlǎorùu 古老肉） – deliciously deep fried pieces of pork are drenched in a sweet and sour sauce with chunks of pineapples.
West Lake beef soup （xī混íu肉gēng 西湖牛肉羹） – this famous soup is named after West Lake of Hangzhou and made with beef， peas and eggs.
West Lake poached fish （xīhú cùyú 西湖醋鱼） – originally from Hangzhou， the fish is first marinated with ginger， soy sauce， sugar and black vinegar， poached whole， then sauced with the marinade.
Yangzhou fried rice （yángzhōuchǎofàn 扬州炒饭） – this well-known fried rice dish uses shrimp， peas， and scrambled eggs. It is distinctly flavored with chicken stock， Shoaxing wine， thin soy sauce and sesame oil.
