Italian chef brings a little of la dolce vita to Chongqing

Mimosa, like its owner, has also been increasingly localized. Bergamino says that, back in Turin, frequent customers to his shop would buy the same dessert every time and would be disappointed if what they wanted was sold out.

The situation in Chongqing, however, is very different. Customers expect different desserts each month, and they will be disappointed if the dessert menu stays the same, he says.

"Young people here like new ideas, and they are becoming more open-minded," says the chef, who has added the tongue-tingling green pepper, one of the most popular ingredients among Chongqing locals, to his classic Italian snacks. The fusion works.

From 2016 to 2022, Bergamino felt a huge change in the taste of Chinese customers. "In the past, Chinese guests always said that my desserts were too sweet. Now more people have accepted the authentic Italian flavors."

Mimosa's consumers are mainly aged between 25 and 35, a group that is more willing to try exotic flavors, partly due to China's decades of opening up to the outside world.

"I hope I can live to 95 and still work," he says, so that he can not only continue to bring authentic Italian desserts to more Chinese palates, but also enable more people to enjoy the fusion of both Chinese and Italian culture.