American chef eats xiaolongbao at a restaurant. [Photo/Sina Weibo]

American cook expert on Shanghai cuisine

An American food writer and a former chef, has spent 16 months analyzing Shanghai's small steamed buns, or xiaolongbao, and produced an essay that evaluates 52 xiaolongbao restaurants there.

Christopher St Cavish, a cook for 10 years in Miami, created a quantitative formula to rate xiaolongbao, that is to use the weight of the stuffing and the sauce, divided by the thickness of the bun skin. Using the formula means that, he carried an electronic weigher, and a ruler, to measure the above elements every time he stepped into the restaurants.

The bilingual review wowed Chinese Internet users because Chinese cooks normally have a vague sense in cooking time and technique, and largely rely on experience.

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