A Shanghai gift can bring a little of the city's flavour home. We suggest four groups of ideas, from established pastry shops to design-led gifts.
Shanghai-style pastries and biscuits
- Park Hotel butterfly pastries
- A famously queued-for gift, described as 256 layers of handmade pastry with a buttery aroma and crisp caramelized edges.
- Laoxiangzhai butterfly pastries
- This old brand has won nine awards. We recommend its original, Earl Grey, chocolate and other flavours.
- Harbin Food Factory almond slices
- Large almond slices and caramelized crispness over a rich butter-pastry base.
Soft, chewy rice cakes
- Shendacheng rice cakes
- An old brand founded in 1875. Osmanthus tiaotou cake, double-filled rice balls and qingtuan are soft and chewy, with smooth red-bean fillings.
- Hongkou rice cakes
- A nearly 70-year-old brand, with cold rice balls, square cakes and golden rice cakes in varied flavours and textures.
- Wangjiasha dim sum
- Handmade xiekehuang pastries and fresh-meat mooncakes offer both savoury and sweet choices for fans of traditional Shanghai flavours.
Design gifts and presentation boxes
- Hero fountain pens
- The brand dates to 1931. We recommend a smooth-writing 14K gold nib as a substantial, Shanghai-made gift for a professional contact.
- Fengzhige vinyl-inspired drip coffee
- A green-landscape gift box with vinyl-record-inspired drip coffee, designed to evoke an unhurried old-Shanghai jazz atmosphere.
- Shanghai Gifts souvenir magnets
- We recommend 33 three-dimensional designs, including hairy crab, xiaolongbao and malted milk. Small enough to pack easily and suited to friends or colleagues.
A familiar taste and a shared memory
- White Rabbit creamy candy
- A familiar sweet dating to 1959. Shanghai also has a dedicated brand store and collaborations that may appeal to families.
Buying and carrying gifts
- Where to shop
- We recommend concentrating purchases around East Nanjing Road, People's Square and Yuyuan, where established shops sit close together. For shorter queues, consider Xiqu Laodaofang or an airport flagship store.
- Mind the shelf life
- Soft rice cakes may keep only three to four days. Buy them one or two days before departure and keep them chilled where possible; butterfly pastries and almond slices generally keep longer. Follow the label on the actual product.
- Revive crisp pastries
- If butterfly pastries soften, we recommend a low-temperature oven or air fryer for two to three minutes to restore their crispness.
- Buy from a proper shop
- Avoid poorly packaged or unlabelled souvenirs from roadside tourist stalls. We recommend official shops or flagship stores of established brands for more dependable quality.