flipXiǎolóngbāo — soup dumplings
Xiǎolóngbāo — soup dumplings
Why this dish? The xiaolongbao of Nanxiang are a Shanghai pride; Eileen Chang, observer of streets and teahouses from her apartment window, belonged to this city where people would stop to nibble these hot bites on the go, between errands in the concession.
Tiny pleated purses filled with pork and a jelly that melts upon steaming into a hot broth trapped inside the dough. You pinch, you suck the juice, then you bite—a whole art of patience and street-side greed.
They are served in small stacked bamboo baskets, steaming, and you must know how to handle them: you delicately lift the purse by its little pleated bun, pierce a corner, and first drink the hidden broth—otherwise you burn yourself, and too bad for the careless one. In Shanghai, you see, even a bite taken standing in the street required grace. I ate them watching the crowd pass; there is nothing more Shanghai than a small hot thing held between two chopsticks on a gray morning.
- •Wheat flour — for the dough (thin wrapper)
- •Minced pork (fatty shoulder) — as needed (filling)
- •Pork broth jelly (skin simmered then chilled) — equal parts to meat (the "juice" that melts on steaming)
- •Ginger, scallion — a little (aroma)
- •Soy sauce, Shaoxing wine — a dash (seasoning)
Xiǎolóngbāo — soup dumplings
Tiny pleated purses filled with pork and a jelly that melts upon steaming into a hot broth trapped inside the dough. You pinch, you suck the juice, then you bite—a whole art of patience and street-side greed.
Why this dish? The xiaolongbao of Nanxiang are a Shanghai pride; Eileen Chang, observer of streets and teahouses from her apartment window, belonged to this city where people would stop to nibble these hot bites on the go, between errands in the concession.
They are served in small stacked bamboo baskets, steaming, and you must know how to handle them: you delicately lift the purse by its little pleated bun, pierce a corner, and first drink the hidden broth—otherwise you burn yourself, and too bad for the careless one. In Shanghai, you see, even a bite taken standing in the street required grace. I ate them watching the crowd pass; there is nothing more Shanghai than a small hot thing held between two chopsticks on a gray morning.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — for the dough (thin wrapper)
- Minced pork (fatty shoulder) — as needed (filling)
- Pork broth jelly (skin simmered then chilled) — equal parts to meat (the "juice" that melts on steaming)
- Ginger, scallion — a little (aroma)
- Soy sauce, Shaoxing wine — a dash (seasoning)
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour — 250 g + 120 ml warm water (dough)
- Minced pork (15% fat) — 250 g (filling)
- Gelled pork broth (skin + bones simmered 2 h, chilled) — 250 g (inner soup)
- Grated ginger — 1 tsp (aromatic)
- Sliced scallion — 2 tbsp (freshness)
- Light soy sauce — 1 tbsp (saltiness)
- Shaoxing wine + sesame oil — 1 tsp each (aroma)
Method
- Prepare the jelly the day before: simmer pork skin and bones for 2 hours, strain, chill until set, then dice finely.
- Mix pork with ginger, scallion, soy sauce, wine, and sesame oil; gently fold in the diced jelly.
- Knead the dough (flour + water), rest 30 minutes, then roll out into small very thin discs, thicker in the center.
- Fill each disc, pleat 18–20 folds, gathering into a small central bun.
- Place on parchment paper in a bamboo steamer; steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a dip of Zhenjiang black vinegar and fine ginger slivers.
How it was made : Born in Nanxiang near Shanghai at the end of the 19th century, these dumplings were eaten in teahouses. The secret of the "soup" lies in the pork skin jelly, which liquefies under steam heat—an old trick to trap broth in dough.
The contemporary twist : Offer a duo of dips—classic black vinegar-ginger and a touch of mild chili on the side—and serve in the bamboo steamer for the steam theater.
Sources : Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Fish and Rice (2016) · Mark Swislocki, Culinary Nostalgia: Regional Food Culture and the Urban Experience in Shanghai (Stanford University Press, 2009)
Eileen Chang · Charactorium
