Choices for local veggies, meats and dairy have mushroomed

For all the well-deserved anxiety about chemicals in our foods, the environmental effects of how we farm, and health problems from an over-processed diet, a simple solution is right in front of us: know who grows your food.

When we eat local food, we know our farmers or their agents; we know the greenhouses that nurture our herbs, and the circumstances in which animals were raised. We support our local economy; our community. We learn about ecology. And we reduce waste and pollution from transporting foods tens of thousands of miles.

Here, some Shanghai chefs reveal their favorite China-grown ingredients and the cornucopia of choice we have within this vast country's borders–and even within an hour's drive of Shanghai. Australian Patrick Dang at T8 is a relentless creative, the sort of guy who combines watermelon and blood orange terrine with seared scallop and white chocolate sesame sauce. His plating is refreshing and free-form ("I love Dali and Picasso. I used to paint," Dang says). Some favorite local produce are eggplant, wosun ("with a little feta cheese and toasted pine- nuts"), kumquats, and hydroponic herbs–grown by an American farmer, who's something of a celebrity among chefs these days. He likes sea urchin from Dalian ("the foie gras of the sea") and he declares local crayfish "silky succulent and sweet." Twice a month Dang crafts Twisted Table, an exclusive menu which lets him introduce the freshest seasonal produce. An earlier Twisted Table included an enchanting and surprising scorched toro with lobster foie gras and crab ice cream (yes, it so works).

Austrian Head Chef, Gerhard Passrugger, at Laris is lately going crazy for local white asparagus, which just came in season. "In four years here, this is the first year they've been so thick," he says. "In Austria, life revolves around the white asparagus when in season; it's just like hairy crab here." David Laris raves about China's stunning mushrooms, especially the chanterelles, which he calls "fantastic" as well as "quality yogurts, cheeses and salamis now being made here; great stuff." Laris is thrilled about the growing local choices: "Each season there is the same joy at seeing these new things arrive."

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