Xiaofei Hu

And because of that, the Chinese specialities of Xiaofei Hu have an X-factor: his recipes are based on tradition and popular cuisine, where family members take the rolling pin in hand and roll out the dough. In China, eating dumplings represents a consummate moment of coming together and sharing. And the Xiaofei family is no different: dumplings play a central role, and they call to mind a home awash with doughy smells and grandparents’ floury hands. Thanks to them, we now know the secrets of preparing the perfect dumplings, with the same love and the same passion that they were prepared in the family. Every day, in his boutique on the first floor, Xiaofei hails the richness of an inherited family tradition, the taste of home, through his dumplings – every one of them made by hand. The ingredients are entirely Italian: from Tuscan-bred pork to organic, stone-ground flours from the mills of Le Langhe; from free-range eggs to organically farmed vegetables. Thus the dumplings are prepared at the Mercato Centrale, in full view of the customers, whether with beef, pork or greens, before being steamed. A touch of soy sauce with ginger extract, and we’re away. Buon appetito!