Cold dish: Shanghai-style kaofu

Green vegetables fried with bamboo shoots

Cold platter

The number of dishes in the cold platter must always be an even number as this is believed to be auspicious. Because they are always prepared and laid out on the table ahead of the dinner, they are often eaten as an appetizer that whets the appetite before the real feasting begins. Staples include smoked fish, dried and steamed eel, wheat gluten and a variety of mustard greens tossed with bamboo shoots in sweet and sour sauce. The last dish is guaranteed to be found on the tables of all Shanghainese households.