Packed with flavor(2)

Delicate xiaolongbao on offer at the Shanghai Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant Photos: Courtesy of Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co., Ltd

Making xiaolongbao successfully is a science and an art, as it involves meticulous manual work and perfect control of timing and heat. Dexterous chefs at Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant can produce a wrapped bun in just a few seconds. Two chefs stand at one end of the table, tearing the dough into small balls and passing them on to the next two chefs, who roll out thin circles on a lightly floured surface. The wrappers are passed to the final set of nimble hands, which dollop a generous mound of filling into the center before pinching a circular cascade of ruffles on top. These tiny purses then get whisked to the steamers before finally being served.

"Our chefs start to work at 4 am each day to prepare the materials. They follow strict guidelines to ensure each wrapper weighs precisely 9 grams, each bun has 16 pleats and that each steamer is freshly made to order," You said.

The restaurant offers 13 flavors of xiaolongbao. The fillings vary with the season. Bamboo shoots are used in early spring, shrimp kernels added in summer, and in autumn, hairy crab meat and roe is popular. Modern innovations include truffles, seafood, foie gras and vegetarian fillings.

Enjoying the little treats immediately after they hit the table is recommended, otherwise the broth within will begin to congeal. Care should be taken when eating, as the piping-hot soup inside is notorious for scalding the palates of the unsuspecting.

The standard way to eat xiaolongbao is to take one by its pleated tip using chopsticks, rest it on the spoon, nip a small opening in the top to release the steam, slurp the soup through the hole, then dip the bun gently into a little rice vinegar before downing the whole pouch in one go.

A dish of finely shredded ginger makes a good accompaniment to crab-flavored xiaolongbao, as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes crab is "cold" by nature and that ginger can help reduce the negative impact of the coldness. It's also quite common to order a bowl of duck's egg soup to go with the buns.

The local delicacy has also won the hearts of foreign foodies, with restaurants specializing in xiaolongbao springing up in countries including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Germany.

"Not only do we need to inherit our cultural legacies, but we must also advance them with the times," You said.

"We hold on to traditions such as limiting our use of seasoning in order to retain the original flavors of the ingredients. We also make innovations like skimming the floating oil when boiling the aspic to make it less greasy. There are lots of Nanxiang xiaolongbao restaurants dotted around the city, but our flavors are the most authentic."