For one family, learning to make xiaolongbao was more than a cooking class. It was part of settling into Shanghai, reconnecting with Chinese food culture, and beginning a new chapter as their son started life in the city.

A father and daughter from the United States joined our Shanghai dumpling cooking class as part of their global tradition of learning local cuisine together. Having already taken classes in six countries, the young traveler created an imaginative octopus dumpling—making this experience their most memorable cooking class so far.