As food shortages hit locked-down Shanghai, the gift of two carrots and a potato was pure luxury

‘My friends who used to post photos from Michelin-starred restaurants were forwarding articles on whether sprouted potatoes were safe to eat.’ Photograph: Jennifer Pak

On day 32 of Shanghai’s lockdown this year, I somehow managed to buy fruit in bulk. I shared some grapes and kiwis with a friend. She insisted I take something in exchange from her dwindling food stash. So I grabbed a potato that had sprouted and two slightly wrinkled carrots. What a relief.

Shanghai’s government effectively shut the city’s borders during the lockdown in April and May. Getting basic items was difficult. Shops were closed. Delivery drivers were in short supply. Suddenly, 25 million of us had to rely on a mixture of grocery apps, government handouts, bulk-buying groups and underground channels to get fed.