Founder of Michelin-starred Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung, Yang Bing Yi, is known for introducing soup dumplings to audiences outside of east Asia, reports The New York Times. A statement from the company announced on Saturday that he died at the age of 96.
“What’s significant about Din Tai Fung is that really it was the first food brand out of Taiwan that introduced both Chinese and Taiwanese cookery to the world,” Clarissa Wei, a food writer in Taipei and the author of the forthcoming cookbook “Made in Taiwan,” said.
Yang and his wife Lai Pen-mei, opened their first store in 1958, which evolved into a franchise spanning 15 countries and over 170 locations across the world. One of their signature items, soup dumplings, also known as xiao long bao, was featured on their menus alongside other east Asian specialties.
Several restaurant locations are known for showcasing the skill that goes into cooking its dishes: restaurant-goers can watch chefs pat filling into the dumplings and seal them by hand.
“For the first time ever, people were able to see the sheer amount of work and technique that goes into making a soup dumpling,” said Wei. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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