Shanghai to Paris, on the Xiao Long Man Tou route

The fruit of Franco-Chinese cultural collaboration, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2024, this Festival is the first event in a program of festivities celebrating this long friendship. And it is certainly in Shanghai, more than anywhere else in China, that French and Chinese cultures have been closely linked. They are embodied here by a collaboration between the Jardin d'Acclimatation and the Shanghai Yuyuan, which is exporting its Lantern Festival to Paris for the first time.

The origins of Xiao Long Man Tou

The event is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, since it's also possible to discover some of the authentic flavours of Chinese gastronomy. Among the dozen or so kiosks: a knife-cut noodle counter, a fried chicken counter and the most popular, the one offering Xiao Long Man Tou These small steamed bites, served in their bamboo basket, are one of the specialties of Shanghai cuisine. As with many traditional dishes, it's difficult to pinpoint their exact origins. What is certain is that Nan Xiang Man Tou Dian (Nan Xiang Steamed Bite Shop), which has set up shop in the Jardin d'Acclimation, has been making them since 1900. It even claims to be the creator. At Nan Xiang's head office in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden, no matter what time of day it is, there's always a queue waiting to taste them.

The art of tasting

Chef You Yumin, who has worked there for 27 years, travelled all the way to Paris to ensure that the recipe was perfectly executed. She encountered a few difficulties: finding the right type of flour (somewhere between T45 and T55) and, for the stuffing, choosing the right pork, here leaner than in China. The recipe: 9g of dough for the envelope, 21g for the stuffing and, for the juice, a little stock gelled from the pork rind and bones, which will liquefy during cooking. Because the secret of these mouthfuls is the juice they contain, and the instructions for eating them. There's no question of swallowing them in one bite, at the risk of burning yourself with the broth. Nor is there any question of crunching them on the end of chopsticks, at the risk of getting them everywhere. To eat them, you first have to wait a little while for them to cool, then pick them up delicately and place them in the hollow of a spoon, biting lightly to suck out the juice before putting them in your mouth. As for the folding of these delicate ravioli, it's quite an art and takes 6 months to learn how to do it perfectly, as the folds must be as graceful as those of a skirt!

• Dragons and Lanterns Festival daily from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• From December 15, 2023 to February 25, 2024 at the Jardin d'Acclimatation, Paris
• www.yuyuanlantern.com

Where to taste Xiao Long Man Tou in Paris?

Imperial Treasure

For a gourmet version of Xiao Long Bao, head for the chic Champs-Élysées district, where you'll find Imperial Treasure, the Paris branch of a group dedicated to Chinese gastronomy, with a Shanghai-born chef in the kitchen. Here, you won't have to be satisfied with delicate bites, but rather with a menu featuring particularly refined versions of all the classics of the genre, including a remarkable Peking Peking duck. All while enjoying the elegant decor created by Jean-Philippe Nuel.

• 44 rue de Bassano, 75008 paris
• www.imperialtreasure.com

Fouxing

Authentic Shanghainese cuisine in a neighborhood restaurant, that's what Fouxing offers, including the famous Xao Long Bao with pork. An address recommended by the Chinese, which in itself is a trip to Shanghai, for a more than reasonable price.

• 51 Rue des Écoles, 75005
• fouxing75.com

21G Dumpling

21G for 21 grams, (5g of dough, 16g of filling), the exact weight of the Xiao Long Bao offered here since 2017 (offered in farmhouse pork/ginger or shrimp/lemongrass versions), in a fun, contemporary setting, and which can be accompanied by various sides: octopus with garlic and soy, sautéed bok choy, Chinese eggplant... A meal to conclude with a black sesame crème brûlée.

• 167 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75011 Paris
• 21g-dumpling.com

Where to enjoy Xiao Long Man Tou in Shanghai?

Nan Xiang Man Tou Dian (Nanxiang Steamed Bites Shop)

Located close to the Temple of God and Yuyuan Garden, Nan Xiang Man Tou Dian is a multi-award-winning parent company. The techniques used to make these steamed dishes have been classified as one of Shanghai's intangible cultural heritages. Chef You Yumin is the sixth generation to perpetuate their know-how. Patience is required to sit down in the dining rooms on the upper floors. While the mouthful is traditionally stuffed with pork, here there are mouthfuls to suit all diets and dietary restrictions.

• 85 Yuyuan Road, City God Temple, Huangpu, Shanghai