A 100-meter-long pizza took center stage as the Taste of Minhang Food and Fun Season opened on Sept 27 at Hongqiao Qianwan Incity MEGA in Shanghai, kicking off 10 days of international cuisine, local specialties and cultural performances through Oct 7.
The festival features Shanghai’s first international pizza festival, bringing together nearly 30 pizza brands from across China and 12 award-winning pizza chefs. On the opening day, participating vendors spent five hours preparing the giant American-style pizza, which was divided into 3,500 free tasting portions.
Visitors can sample a range of flavors, from pizza and Dai-style grilled sausage to fruit wine and international wines. Time-honored Shanghai brands, including Taikang, Sanyang, Shaowansheng and Laodatong, are also presenting traditional treats such as mooncakes, marinated delicacies, sweets and tea.
“The festival provides an opportunity for businesses to exchange ideas,” said Zhao Shi, founder of ACME PIZZA, a Minhang-based brand that sold more than 200 pizzas on the opening day.
Food is only part of the program. The event also features jazz, ethnic song and dance performances, original music inspired by Minhang, and displays of locally developed cultural products. New industrial tourism routes, 10 recommended photo spots and the second Minhang Souvenirs award list were also unveiled at the opening ceremony.
Evolving from the district’s six-year-old Jiangnan Foodie Festival, the event has expanded to combine food with culture, tourism, sports and commerce. This year, it adopts a new format featuring one main venue and five themed sub-venues across the district, covering mountain produce, international culture, art, jazz and nightlife.
The festival runs through Oct 7 at Hongqiao Qianwan Incity MEGA, offering visitors an opportunity to explore international flavors and local culture in Minhang.
