Wandering through the streets and alleys of Shanghai, whether it is the bustling Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the antique Yuyuan Old Street, or the lively Huaihai Middle Road, you can always smell a strong almond fragrance mixed with a light butter scent, making people unconsciously stop. This timeless fragrance comes from Shanghai’s most representative classic pastry — Almond Slice. As a time-honored delicacy rooted in Shanghai for decades, integrating Chinese and Western flavors, Shanghai Almond Slice has both the delicate craftsmanship of Chinese pastries and the mellow taste of Western pastries. It is not only the childhood memory of old Shanghainese, but also the best souvenir for foreign tourists to understand Shanghai’s inclusive temperament and take away the city’s flavor. Without a gorgeous appearance, it uses the purest ingredients and the most exquisite craftsmanship to become an indispensable taste symbol in Shanghai’s tourism, witnessing the unique charm of this city’s integration of Chinese and Western Cultures.
To understand the charm of Shanghai Almond Slice, we must first explore its origin and cultural heritage. The birth of Shanghai Almond Slice is inseparable from the historical background of the integration of Chinese and Western Cultures in modern Shanghai. A hundred years ago, Western pastry craftsmanship was introduced to Shanghai, colliding and integrating with local Chinese pastry techniques, and Almond Slice is the perfect crystallization of this cultural integration. Different from the overly sweet and heavy traditional Chinese pastries and the overly rich Western pastries, Shanghai Almond Slice takes the advantages of both, combining the exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese pastries with the ingredient matching of Western pastries, and gradually forming a unique flavor. It has become a necessary pastry for old Shanghainese to have afternoon Tea and visit relatives and friends, and even the taste nostalgia of generations of Shanghainese. Today, time-honored brands represented by Shanghai Wulixiang and Harbin food Factory still adhere to the traditional craftsmanship to make Almond Slice, allowing this delicious food integrating Chinese and Western Cultures to be passed down and become an indispensable part of Shanghai’s food culture.
The choice of ingredients is the core secret of the excellent taste of Shanghai Almond Slice. Authentic Shanghai Almond Slice has extremely strict requirements on ingredients. Each ingredient is carefully selected to present the purest crispy taste. As the core ingredient, almonds are preferably high-quality American almonds or local high-quality almonds with plump grains and golden color. After multiple processes such as roasting, peeling and slicing, the astringency of almonds is removed, and their most authentic crispness and mellow fragrance are retained. Each slice of almond is evenly thick and thin, ensuring that you can feel a clear granularity in your mouth. Butter is selected from imported natural butter, which is mellow in texture and rich in fragrance, without any additives. After softening at low temperature, it is fully mixed with low-gluten flour, white sugar and egg liquid to create a crispy and non-greasy cake base. In addition, a small amount of milk powder and corn starch are added, which can not only enhance the milk flavor of the pastry, but also make the cake base more crispy and fragile, melting in the mouth, avoiding a stiff and gritty taste.
The exquisite traditional craftsmanship is the key to the inheritance of Shanghai Almond Slice for a hundred years. Different from the assembly line operation of modern industrial production, time-honored brands in Shanghai make Almond Slice by hand, embodying the efforts and experience of old craftsmen. The production process seems simple, but every detail hides secrets. From the proportion of ingredients, the softening temperature of butter to the baking time and heat, all need precise control, without the slightest carelessness. First, fully stir the softened butter and white sugar until fluffy, add egg liquid in batches, stir well, then add low-gluten flour, milk powder and corn starch, knead into a smooth dough, let it stand and relax, so that the flour can fully absorb the aroma of butter and ensure the crispness of the cake base. Then, roll the dough into a uniform thin sheet, cut into neat rectangles, spread the processed almond slices evenly on the surface, brush a thin layer of egg liquid, sprinkle a small amount of white sugar, and put it into the oven to bake slowly at low temperature.
The baking link is crucial to determine the taste of Almond Slice. With years of experience, old craftsmen accurately control the oven temperature at 160-170 degrees Celsius and bake for 15-20 minutes. During this period, they also observe the color change of Almond Slice many times to prevent burning. After slow baking at low temperature, the mellow fragrance of almond slices is fully stimulated, the aroma of butter and almonds is perfectly integrated, the cake base becomes golden and crispy, the almond slices on the surface are bright in color, the edges are slightly curled, emitting an attractive aroma. The freshly baked Almond Slice is crispy and fragile, and will crumble if touched gently. Put it in your mouth, first the light butter aroma spreads on your tongue, then the crispness and mellow fragrance of almonds gradually stand out, sweet but not greasy, crispy but not gritty, the milk flavor and almond aroma are intertwined, with rich layers. After eating, there is still a long-lasting crispy fragrance in your mouth, making you linger and forget to return. This crispy and non-greasy taste not only meets the taste habits of Chinese people, but also is easily accepted by foreign tourists, becoming a delicious food across national borders.
For foreign tourists, Shanghai Almond Slice is not only a delicious pastry, but also a window to understand Shanghai’s inclusive culture. Shanghai is a city with both the elegance of Chinese gardens, the fireworks of lanes, the prosperity of Western-style buildings and the customs of exotic cultures. Almond Slice is a vivid embodiment of this inclusive temperament. Born in the era of integration of Chinese and Western cultures, it not only adheres to the craftsmanship spirit of Chinese pastries, but also absorbs the high-quality ingredients and production concepts of Western pastries, just like Shanghai, which is open, inclusive and eclectic. At the 2026 Year of the Horse Spring Festival Market, Shanghai Almond Slice became a popular souvenir with its unique Chinese and Western flavors and cultural heritage, attracting Chinese and foreign tourists to stop and taste, and becoming an important carrier of conveying Shanghai’s Spring Festival flavor and culture. Many foreign tourists praised it after tasting, saying that it has both “the delicacy of the East and the mellow of the West”, and is an excellent way to understand Shanghai’s culture.
As a must-bring souvenir for foreign tourists traveling to Shanghai, Shanghai Almond Slice is very convenient to buy. Major time-honored stores are located around many popular tourist attractions in Shanghai, and you can easily buy the authentic flavor without making a special detour. The most recommended store is the Wulixiang store located at No. 630 Nanjing East Road, Huangpu District. Located in the core area of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, it is within walking distance after getting off at Nanjing East Road Station of Metro Line 2 or 10. There are also popular scenic spots such as the Bund and People’s Square nearby. After visiting the scenic spots, you can stop by the store to choose, which is very convenient. In addition, Harbin Food Factory at No. 613 Huaihai Middle Road and many time-honored stores in Yuyuan Mall also sell authentic Shanghai Almond Slice. Get off at Yuyuan Station of Metro Line 10 or 14 and walk for 5 minutes to reach Yuyuan Mall. After visiting Yuyuan and City God Temple, take a few boxes of Almond Slice, which is not only a souvenir for yourself, but also a thoughtful gift for your family and friends.
When buying, foreign tourists can choose different packaging styles according to their own needs. Each style has its own characteristics and high cost performance. Loose-packed ones are suitable for personal tasting, buy as needed, and can feel the crispy and delicious Almond Slice at any time; independent small-packed ones are easy to carry, clean and hygienic, suitable for eating at any time during the trip, and also suitable for sharing with traveling partners to share this Shanghai flavor; gift box packages are exquisitely designed, printed with old Shanghai street scenes, Chinese patterns and other characteristic elements, which are both retro and exquisite, and are the best choice for giving to family and friends. The gift box will also be accompanied by product introductions, making it convenient for foreign tourists to introduce the story and culture of this classic Shanghai pastry to their family and friends. The price is also very affordable. The loose-packed ones are about 25-35 yuan per catty, the independent small-packed ones (100g-150g) are about 18-28 yuan, and the gift box packages range from 40 to 120 yuan according to different specifications. You don’t have to worry about the budget and can easily take away this Shanghai delicacy.
Here are a few practical tips for foreign tourists to help you better taste and preserve this delicacy. Shanghai Almond Slice is a crispy pastry with a tender taste. It is recommended to take it gently when eating to avoid excessive crumbs caused by extrusion; matching it with Shanghai’s local green Tea or chrysanthemum tea can not only relieve the light sweetness, but also highlight the mellow fragrance of almonds and butter, unlocking a more authentic eating method. Just like old Shanghainese, enjoy a slow time with a pot of tea and a few pieces of Almond Slice in the afternoon tea time. When storing, it should be sealed and placed in a cool and dry place to avoid getting damp and soft, which affects the crispy taste. Especially when the humidity is high in Shanghai’s plum rain season, it is more important to keep it sealed. It can also be stored in the refrigerator to extend the storage time and ensure that you can taste this crispy and delicious food for a long time. If you are not sure about the taste, you can first buy a small amount of loose-packed ones to taste, then choose the gift box or buy more bags according to your preference.
The beauty of Shanghai lies not only in the bright lights of the Bund and the antique charm of Yuyuan, but also in the authentic delicacies hidden in the fireworks. Shanghai Almond Slice, with a small pastry, carries Shanghai’s historical memories, inclusive culture and craftsmanship spirit. It has both the delicacy of Chinese pastries and the mellow of Western pastries, crispy and not greasy, lingering and forgettable. It is an indispensable taste experience for foreign tourists traveling to Shanghai, and also the best souvenir to take away Shanghai’s memories and convey the city’s flavor. When you taste this piece of Almond Slice, every bite of crispness is a gentle greeting from Shanghai; every wisp of fragrance is a vivid witness to the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. Come to Shanghai, wander the old streets, enjoy the scenery, taste the food, and don’t forget to take a few boxes of Shanghai Almond Slice, take this crispy and delicious food integrating Chinese and Western cultures, together with the beautiful memories in Shanghai, home with you.
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