Shanghai local cuisine is characterized by rich oil, dark sauce, and a balanced sweet-savory flavor, excelling in using freshwater seafood and poultry. It emphasizes mastery of heat control and sauce reduction, resulting in rich, full-bodied textures. Signature dishes include braised pork belly, xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shengjian (pan-fried dumplings), and sizzling eel slices—sweet but not cloying, savory, and deeply flavorful.