Whether you're a spice fiend or someone who's just looking to add a little extra zing to your dining options, there are plenty of options in Shanghai. However, perhaps you're looking for something a little different to the usual suspects such as Hunan and Sichuan cuisine. If so, read on, as the Global Times has uncovered some more innovative spicy choices.
Hot to Jump
The dish "Hot to Jump" (pictured below) at Lotus Restaurant has been rated the spiciest Chinese dish in Shanghai by reviewers on the "Zhoumo Zuosha" (What to do on the Weekend) WeChat account. It was developed by a chef at the restaurant in 2005.
To make the dish, five types of chili peppers are stewed with Chinese herbs for over 10 hours to create an extremely spicy sauce. Diced bullfrog is then added and cooked in the sauce. While the dish is shockingly hot, the chili peppers cannot be seen, as they have been liquefied.
Since the dish's creation, the restaurant has declared that anyone who can finish the dish within one hour does not need to pay for it. Those who accept the challenge are allowed to consume other dishes and drinks at the same time, although they may not use a drink to wash down the "Hot to Jump."
Many people took the challenge, and some of those who succeeded asked for their feat to be recognized. After redecoration in 2009, the restaurant put up a ranking table on its wall, displaying the names of all those who could eat the spiciest dish in Shanghai within an hour. As of now, only around 100 customers have been able to complete the challenge.
"Some people literally jump up after trying this dish. They cannot bear even one bite of the food. But a few of them love it," the manager of the restaurant told the Global Times. "Everyone sweats after trying it."
Spicy dishes around town Photos: Yang Lan/GT and courtesy of the restaurants and CFP
As well as locals, people from outside of Shanghai and overseas have taken the challenge. However, the only foreigner to get their name on the wall is a Malaysian.
The sauce is made fresh everyday, and over 90 percent of customers order this dish. It is so popular that there is a limit of one order per table. There is also a less spicy version, developed after the original became popular, so that people who are not such big fans of spice can still give it a try.
Add: 641 Changning Road
长宁路641号
Tel: 5238-2919
Diavolo with spicy beef pizza
If you're looking for some spicy fast food, or a hot option for a party, then the Diavolo with spicy beef pizza from C'est Zhazha is your best bet. The pizza's topping is minced beef cooked in a chili sauce spread across a thin crust base (pictured below). The chili mixes with the hot cheese. However, while the first bite is intensely hot, it soon fades.
Spicy dishes around town Photos: Yang Lan/GT and courtesy of the restaurants and CFP
Add: 96 Square, 796 Dongfang Road 东方路796号96广场
Tel: 6105-0359
Chili Hammer chocolate
After your spicy meal, how about a spicy dessert? Chili and chocolate may seem like strange bedfellows to some, but the combination of the two dates back to the Aztecs. The Blondel chocolate shop's Chili Hammer Chocolate does a great job of mixing the smooth and sweet taste of chocolate with the kick of chili (pictured below).
Spicy dishes around town Photos: Yang Lan/GT and courtesy of the restaurants and CFP
On the first bite, only the taste of chocolate reaches the tongue. Then the spicy taste explodes in the mouth, and releases a long-lasting burst on the tongue.
The name of the chocolate brand dates back to its original formulation in Switzerland in the 1850s, when it was so thick it could only be broken into pieces using a hammer, and so was referred to in French as "chocolat aux marteaux."
While these days the chocolate itself is thinner, the makers have retained its original name.
Add: 245 Madang Road 马当路245号
Tel: 6333-8201
