Hakka architecture is often remembered for its extraordinary forms. Travelling from the circular tulou of Fujian to the ancestral houses of Dabu revealed something more interesting: how architecture once organised family, protection, education and life across generations.

In his private kitchen in Bangkok, MasterChef Thailand winner Angkrit and I cooked green, red and yellow curries. Among his collected objects, with a vegetable vendor stopping at the door, we shared stories of London, life in Umbria and the Hakka food I had encountered on a recent journey to my family’s villages in China.

I came to Da Niko at Bulgari Hotel Milano for dinner in a room I already loved looking at. What stayed with me was the welcome: an honest conversation about the pasta, a walk through the garden with Chef Giorgio, and a half portion of pistachio-filled brioche that made an abundant evening complete.

In my thirties, I followed my father to the Hakka villages my grandparents left for Malaya—and discovered how remembering one’s source is sustained across generations.