Shanghai Best Dim Sum “Xiaolong bao”

Xiaolong bao is a type of steamed bun or baozi from the Jiangnan region of China, especially Shanghai and Wuxi. It traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets; hence the name Xiaolong is literally small steaming basket. Xiaolong bao are often referred to as soup dumpling or simply dumplings in English.

 Of the hundreds of Chinese dumplings and snack foods, some consider Xiaolong bao to be the best.  It ranks as one of the great achievements of any cuisines. Xiaolong bao are traditionally filled with pork, one popular and common variant is pork with minced crab meat and roe. More modern innovations include other meats, seafood and vegetarian fillings, as well as other possibilities.

 

The Xiaolong bao is one of a range related styles of steamed buns in Chinese cuisine, with the distinguishing features of a steamed bun with a soup filling. Traditionally the Xiaolong bao is a kind of dim sum or snack item, as well as a kind of xiaochi or “small eat.” The buns are served hot in the bamboo baskets in which they were steamed, usually on a bed of dried leaves or on a wiven mat, although some restaurants today use napa cabbage instead.  The buns are usually dipped in Chinkiang vinegar with ginger slivers. They are traditionally served with a clear soup on the side.

The buns are traditionally part of Jiangnan- style morning tea. In Cantonese regions and the West it is also commonly served as a Cantonese yum cha item. While not traditionally eaten as part of a main meal, some restaurants have in recent years begun serving Xiaolong bao as a main dish.

The characteristic soup-filled kind is created by wrapping solid meat aspic inside the skin alongside the meat filling. Heat from steaming then melts the gelatin- gelled aspic into soup. In modern times, refrigeration has made the process of making Xiaolong bao during hot weather easier, since making gelled aspic is much more difficult at room temperature.