6 Shanghai dishes, 6 delicious ways to be lucky

Over the past 30 years, Shanghaining have had an ever-expanding variety of food choices, making the once-a-year family reunion dinners on Chinese New Year ever more tantalizing.

Even with the growing variety of food to choose from, when Spring Festival approaches, there are always several dishes on almost every Shanghainese family’s table. They not only represent Shanghai’s particular -- and delicious -- cooking style, but they also take on new meanings within the city itself.

Here are six of the traditional lucky dishes that have a special place in the heart of Shanghaining everywhere.

1. Niangao

Niangao in Mandarin has the same pronunciation as “year rise,” so people eat it every year in hopes of getting a promotion and getting an extra ounce of luck -- at home and work -- in the coming year.

In a city that works as hard as it plays, it’s not a surprise that this is one of the more frequently given gifts in the city.

The light-flavored Ningbo niangao, what Shanghaining usually eat, is made from high-quality, short-grained japonica rice. It’s regarded as the “transformer” at Chinese New Year dinners, becasue it can be cooked in every conceivable way.

More on CNNGo: DIY niangao this Chinese New Year

Although it's a nationwide tradition to eat niangao on Chinese New Year, Shanghai chefs have some unique local recipes, such as niangao soup with veggies and fried niangao with hairy crabs or with cabbage and shredded pork.

Sweet niangao with osmanthus flowers are also popular in Shanghai.

Steamed whole or sliced and deep fried, niangao's sweet taste and soft texture is one of the first things Shanghairen reach for during Chinese New Year.

Best place to get sweet niangao: Waipojia, RMB 8  

Waipojia, 8/F 166 Xizang Bei Lu (inside Joy City), near Kaifeng Lu 西藏北路, 近开封路, +86 21 3639 5699

2. Tangtuan

Also known as "tangyuan" or "yuanxiao" in northern China, round-shaped foods are referred to as "tangtuan" in Shanghai.

Because of the food's shape and the character "tuan," meaning getting together, the dish signifies good wishes for family reunion.

Technically, any material can be used as tangtuan filling, so you never really know what you’re going to get when you take a bite of a tangtuan. But that’s half the fun.

More on CNNGo: What superstitions do you believe in this Chinese New Year?

It’s a tradition in Shanghai that the whole family eats tangtuan together on the morning of the Chinese New Year’s day, and the “tangtuan banquet” marks an end to the Spring Festival period.

Although more and more foods are becoming acceptable fillings for tangtuan, traditional Shanghairen still favor tangtuan filled with lard and sesame, sweet bean paste and meat.

Best place to get tangtuan: Qibao Laojie Tangtuan Restaurant, RMB 1 each

Qibao Laojie Tangtuan Restaurant, 26 Zhen Nan Lu, near Fuqiang Lu (Qibao District) 真南路26号, 近富强路 +86 21 6459 2917

3. Babaofan

Babaofan is Shanghaning’s must-have dessert for a family reunion dinner, always appearing as the last course.

Babaofan literally means “sticky rice with eight treasures,” so this dessert embodies all kinds of luck and happiness.

Also, it's sweetness represents the idea of a sweet new year -- and satisfies Shanghairen's famous sweet tooth. The idea that “you are what you eat” isn’t lost on Shangahining.

More on CNNGo: A sweet and stick Chinese New Year tradition -- babaofan

Few Shanghairen can name the eight ingredients in babaofan correctly, but we love it all the same. See the link above for a recipe.

There are tons of variations of this dish (one reason no one can name all the ingredients), but popular local varieties are sticky rice babaofan filled with sweet bean paste, and one made from black sticky rice.

Best place to get babaofan: Qiaojiashan, RMB 10-20 each

Qiaojiashan, 313 Xiangyang Nan Lu, near Yongjia Lu 襄阳南路313号, 近永嘉路, +86 21 6437 4174