國內有一部動畫《包寶寶》贏得今屆奧斯卡最佳動畫短片，故事的主線是一位掛念著兒子的母親。「Bao」就是中國傳統家庭會做的包子，與此同時，中國的包子也在倫敦引起了大家的注意：大型連鎖店鼎泰豐新店開張。The China Current就找到了紐約時報作家劉敏，她同時是《Our Man in China》一書的作者，由她分享一下在外國享受這款傳統中國美食的體驗。

對於未認識鼎泰豐的人，你會如何介紹它？我認為鼎泰豐可能是現時最有名的小籠包專門店。但在很久以前，鼎泰豐只是台北一家家族式經營的小店。如果你不太清楚小籠包是甚麼，我會說它就是豬肉包子，放在一個大大的竹籠裡蒸熟。你跟一大夥人吃，送到枱子上的竹籠就會疊得很高，大家一層一層的吃下去。鼎泰豐的小籠包可算是世界知名，鼎泰豐特別做了開放式私廚房，讓客人可以看見廚師工作的情況。頭上頂著廚師帽、戴上口罩蓋著臉，看起來像極了實驗室內的科學家。又美味又圓滿的小籠包，背後其實大有文章。這個台灣食品家族創立鼎泰豐，把小籠包的製作做得更完善。很多人都聽過小籠包上用人手造出的18道摺，再要經過40 個工作站的處理才算完成一隻完美的小籠包，而每個工作站就好像一所實驗室一樣。

現時鼎泰豐全球有150間分店，最新開設的就在倫敦吧？對了，新店就在我家附近。我當然十分高興，相信我在倫敦的生活亦會隨之大大改變。我並沒有誇大。鼎泰豐讓我感受到老家的風味，是兒時感受過的味道。很多人對年幼的印象都圍繞著食物和香味，有時可能就是與祖母在廚房的一幕。中國人習慣合餐，即多人分享同一碟菜肴，其他各國的菜式亦越來越多用合餐上菜。合餐算是變了現時的飲食潮流，這其實是傳統的中國文化吧？我覺得中國人用餐枱上的轉盤是一個讓人很在意地吃一頓飯的動作。你會顧及同桌的人，小心看看有沒有其他人正在用筷子夾著食物，聽起來有點奇怪。

如果你可以隨意設計你的晚餐，用你最喜歡的中國食物，你會選甚麼？James ，這就很難了 。飯和麵這一類碳水化合物都是中國人的主食，另外還應該有小籠包，因為我們剛好在討論。

讓我帶你一起回到1990年代，那個你和家人和親戚一起的時候。有甚麼回憶是最難忘的？鼎泰豐就代表著那一個年代：幾代人圍著餐枱，家裡就像一家大餐館。你不會說那是一個很時髦、很入流或者很現代化的地方，那只是一個和祖父母吃飯的環境，我會帶我的子女一起，也希望他們會帶下一代一起。

Hi, I'm James Chau this is The Chinese Current where each week I bring you up close with fascinating people and stories who are shaping China and also the world If you watched the Oscars you would have seen ‘Bao’ win for Best Animated Short Film…the story about a mother who misses her son and then make dumplings. ‘Bao’ means ‘dumplings’ in Chinese and dumplings are getting a new showcase over in London. The global chain Din Tai Fung has opened-up a new dumpling restaurant there. We sent Ming Liu, the writer for The New York Times and the author of the fantastic novel ‘Our Man in China’ to go and explore the cultural significance of dumplings. Ming said “yes” and this is what she told us.

For those who don’t know what it is, What is Din Tai Fung?

Din Tai Fung is probably the most famous xiao long bao restaurant in the world. Well, now… But at the time it was just a mom-and-pop dumpling restaurant in Taipei, Xiao long bao, for those who don’t know, are the steamed pork buns that come in these bamboo baskets, and if you go with a large group of people. They arrive on your table stacked up in layers of baskets. And you work your way down, but the dumpling is world famous.

They have these open kitchens at Din Tai Fung where you can see in. These men and women with their hats, their faces covered and laboratory-style coats. They’re almost like scientist.

This delicious, perfect dumpling, Actually, there’s a real science to it now. This Taiwanese family that came up with Din Tai Fung, xiao long bao have perfected it. Most famously it has 18 hand-made folds The dumplings go through, from beginning to end. They go through forty different stations all these stations to make the perfect dumpling, And that’s each one, It’s a laboratory.

Today, it has 150 restaurants globally, and the newest is in London?

I’m absolutely thrilled there’s a Din Tai Fung on my doorstep. It’s going to change my life in London. I know that sounds very dramatic, but it will! Because it’s a taste of home, it’s a taste of my childhood. I think lots of people do have, weirdly, childhood memories linked to food, linked to a smell, or a memory in their kitchen with their grandmother.

Shared plates is now having a revival in non-Chinese cuisine. It’s seen as something trendy and fashionable. But the Chinese have always had shared plates, so to speak?

I think that whole act of turning the ‘Lazy Susan’ looking around the table to make sure that someone’s chopsticks aren’t stuck in a plate or a bowl before you turn it and spin it away, it really makes you conscious as a diner.

You have to be conscious of other people around you when you’re eating, I know that sounds a bit odd! If you were to design a meal tonight with all your favorite Chinese food on one table…what would you pick?

Oh, gosh, James, that’s really hard! I mean, obviously rice, obviously noodles the staple carbohydrates, you just have to have… and xiao long bao because we’re talking about it!

Take us back to those years in the early 1990s…when you were there with your extended family.What’s your favorite memory of your family, that you would share with us?

That’s what Din Tai Fung is…it’s multiple generations around the table. It is a family restaurant. It’s not a funky, cool, hip contemporary place that’s a fad. It’s a place you’ll probably go to with your grandparents like me. I would take my kids, And hopefully my kids will take their kids.

Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us.

Thank you so much, James.