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If you're still quite new to Chinese cuisine and food culture, you may be unaware of the sensational spread of cold dishes that exist – or when to eat them. Small plates of cold dishes are typically served at the start of the meal; the perfect way to whet your appetite before the hot-from-the wok fare that follows. That practice aside, they're also a simply delightful way assuage the heat… but frankly excellent eaten anytime of year, as they're meant to be.

Add to your growing repertoire of local food knowledge with these six classic Chinese cold dishes.

Shanghai-style kaofu

Sweetness with mingles with umami in this humbly epic Shanghainese staple. As the dish's name suggests (sixi kaofu 四喜烤麸, "four happiness" wheat gluten), there are four key ingredients: kaofu, shiitake mushrooms, lily flowers and fresh peanuts; braised together hongshao-style with sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and aromatics. The mix of spongy, soft and crunchy textures in this dish is one of it's greatest assets, so don't skip any of the elements.

Here's our 5 picks for Shanghai-style kaofu:

1) 光明邨大酒家 Guang Ming Cun

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-8:30pm

Price: 16 yuan

Address: 588 Huaihai Rd M. 淮海中路588号

2) 德兴馆 De Xing Restaurant

Opening hours: 6:30am-8:30pm

Price: 23 yuan

Address: 471 Guangdong R 广东路471号

3) 圆苑 Yuan Yuan Restaurant

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Price: 36 yuan

Address: 2/F, Lippo Plaza, 222 Huaihai Rd M. 淮海中路222号力宝广场2楼

4) 老吉士 Lao Ji Shi

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 4:30pm-9pm

Price: 38 yuan

Address: 3/F, HKRI Taikoo Hui, 288 Shimen Rd No. 1 石门一路288号兴业太古汇3楼

5) 老兴鲜 Lao Xing Xian

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 40 yuan

Address: 5/F, Parkson, 918 Huaihai Rd M. 淮海中路918号百盛商场5楼

Smashed cucumber

The world's greatest cucumber dish, full stop. Literally "smashed cucumber" (pai huanggua 拍黄瓜), a version of this dish shows its face at the start of nearly every meal at nearly every restaurant. Tradition calls for smashing whole cukes into jagged, bite-size pieces with the side of a cleaver, creating more surface area to absorb the marinade: a perfected balance of black vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, chili and sugar; tangy, punchy and cooling all at once.

Here's our 5 picks for smashed cucumber:

1) 鲜得来 Xian De Lai

Opening hours: 7am-10pm

Price: 6 yuan

Address: 36 Yun'nan Rd S. 云南南路36号

2) 德兴馆De Xing Restaurant

Opening hours: 6:30am-8:30pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 471 Guangdong Rd 广东路471号

3) 上海1号私藏菜 Shanghai No.1 Seafood Village

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 6F, Shinesun Plaza, 237 Xizang Rd S. 西藏南路237号新尚广场6楼

4) 人和馆 Ren He Guan

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Price: 25 yuan

Address: 407 Zhaojiabang Rd 肇嘉浜路407号

5) 舜记餐厅 Shun Ji

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 28 yuan

Address: 5/F, 5-7 Shaanxi Rd S. 陕西南路5-7号(城市酒店内)5楼

Liangpi

Liangpi (凉皮) aka cold skin noodles, is the ideal warm-weather answer when you want something filling but still light and fresh. The name reflects the noodle-making process: it starts with the starchy water from rinsing noodle dough – let that starch settle, mix it with water and then steam in thin sheets, and your end result will be translucent layers of "skin." Tossed with spongy kaofu, crunchy bean sprouts, slivers of cucumber and cilantro, these slippery, slightly springy noodles perfectly absorb oodles of spicy, numbing sauce.

Here's our 5 picks for liangpi:

1) 魏家凉皮 Wei Jia Liang Pi

Opening hours: 10am-10pm

Price: 11 yuan

Address: 66 Miaojing Rd 庙泾路66号

2) 天下皮仓凉皮 Tian Xia Pi Cang

Opening hours: 10am-10:30pm

Price: 11 yuan

Address: 393 Hangdong Rd 航东路393号

3) 御陕坊 Yu Shan Fang

Opening hours: 10am-9pm

Price: 16 yuan

Address: 118, 122 Yongping Rd 永平路118、122号

4) 子午路张记肉夹馍 Zi Wu Lu Zhang Ji

Opening hours: 10:30am-8:30pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 7 Sinan Rd 思南路7号

5) 陕西大厦-长安宴(秦粤轩) Qin Yue Xuan

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 4/F, 658 Yan'an Rd M. 延安中路658号4楼

Shredded tofu salad

The word salad here is for lack of a better English translation: called liangban doufi si (凉拌豆腐丝), the first two characters of this dish's name actually mean "cold toss/mix." What looks like noodles are actually thin, chewy ropes of doufu si (shredded firm tofu), typically tossed with red onion, cilantro, julienned carrot, cucumber and garlicky, sesame-forward sauce. Super fresh, light and friendly to the people in your life who (erroneously) believe they don't like tofu – let this champion dish change their tune.

Here's our 5 picks for Shredded Tofu Salad:

1) 和记小菜 Heji Restaurant

Opening hours: 10am-2pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 15 yuan

Address: 3/F, Golden Magnolia Plaza, 1 Dapu Rd 打浦路1号金玉兰广场西座3楼

2) 申梦·上荷 Shen Meng Shang He

Opening hours: 10:30am-2pm, 4:30pm-9pm

Price: 26 yuan

Address: 1/F, Pinault Printemps Redoute, 155 Changshou Rd 长寿路155号巴黎春天1楼

3) 云采云南菜 Yunnan Cuisine

Opening hours: 11am-1:30pm, 5pm-9pm

Price: 28 yuan

Address: 3/F, Yunnan Building, 2088 Zhongshan Rd N. 中山北路2088号云南大厦裙楼3楼

4) 上扬府·淮扬小品 Shang Yang Fu Huaiyang Dim Sum

Opening hours: 10:30am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-9pm

Price: 28 yuan

Address: 5/F, 479 Nanjing Rd E. 南京东路479号5楼

5) 云锦壹号·淮扬宴 Yun Jin Yi Hao

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm

Price: 58 yuan

Address: 1/F, Bldg 2, Mu Plaza, 277 Longlan Rd 龙兰路277号云锦天地2号楼1层

Wood ear salad

Another "cold toss," liangban mu'er (凉拌木耳) is a humble but beloved mainstay – and a great segue from the more familiar mushrooms in your life into the wide and wonderful world of Chinese fungi. Not the most beautiful but nonetheless satisfying in both texture and taste, the dish sees squeaky, crunchy wood ear mushrooms lightly dressed with garlic, fresh chili, soy sauce and black vinegar.

Here's our 5 picks for Wood Ear Salad:

1) 鲜得来 Xian De Lai

Opening hours: 7am-10pm

Price: 6 yuan

Address: 36 Yun'nan Rd S. 云南南路36号

2) 光明邨大酒家 Guang Ming Cun

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-8:30pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 588 Huaihai Rd M. 淮海中路588号

3) 人和馆 Ren He Guan

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Price: 23 yuan

Address: 407 Zhaojiabang Rd 肇嘉浜路407号

4) 老瑞福上海菜 Lao Rui Fu Restaurant

Opening hours: 10:30am-2pm, 4:30pm-9pm

Price: 26 yuan

Address: 238 Fengyang Rd 凤阳路238号

5) 转角·老弄堂餐厅 Corner

Opening hours: 11am-2pm, 5pm-9:30pm

Price: 28 yuan

Address: 2/F, 139 Ruijin Rd No. 1

瑞金一路139号2楼

Cold wontons with peanut sauce

If you think wontons only belong in hot soup, huasheng jiang leng huntun (花生酱冷馄饨) proves otherwise. Usually stuffed to near-bursting point with shepherd's purse and pork or tofu, these plump packages arrive unfussily adorned with lashings of peanut sauce – then it's up to you to amp up the flavors to your taste with drizzles of chili crisp, soy sauce and black vinegar.

Here's our 5 picks for Cold Wontons:

1) 美新点心店 Mei Xin Dim Sum

Opening hours: 8am-7pm

Price: 15 yuan

Address: 105 Shaanxi Rd N. 陕西北路105号

2) 德兴馆 De Xing Restaurant

Opening hours: 6:30am-8:30pm

Price: 18 yuan

Address: 471 Guangdong Rd 广东路471号

3) 大富贵 Da Fu Gui

Opening hours: 10am-2pm, 4:30pm-9pm

Price: 19 yuan

Address: 1-3/F, 1409 Zhonghua Rd 中华路1409号锦南商厦1-3楼

4) 王家沙点心店 Wang Jia Sha

Opening hours: 7am-8pm

Price: 20 yuan

Address: 805 Nanjing Rd W. 南京西路805号

5) 富春小笼馆·非遗小吃 Fu Chun Xiao Long Guan

Opening hours: 8am-8pm

Price: 28 yuan

Address: 652 Jianguo Rd W. 建国西路652号