Soup dumplings are ubiquitous in Chinese cooking. Christina Ng goes on the trail of these much-loved morsels in Shanghai, Wuxi, Changzhou and Hangzhou.
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Tracking down the xiaolongbao – small balls of footing meat, finely wrapped up in semi-translucent dough clamber, bobbing in savory broth – is a lip-smacking adventure. Known as soup dumplings in English, you can find every version of these all over Asia – notably at Taiwanese chain restaurant Din Tai Fung. however, their fatherland is China .
Dumpling-tasting in Shanghai
My dumpling-tasting travel starts in coastal Shanghai, China ’ randomness biggest city, where traditional lilong residences ( townhouses connected by a lane ) and advanced skyscrapers compete for space. Michelin-star restaurants and shabby stalls model side by slope in the alleyways which weave in and out of the brandish cityscape. Do not turn your nose up at these stalls, for some harbor the dainty xiaolongbao that your heart will ache for adenine soon as you leave Shanghai. This city is, after all, where many think the xiaolongbao was born .
It all began with Huang Mingxian, the owner of Ri Hua Xuan restaurant in the Nanxiang district of Shanghai. He was said to have created these dumplings in the 1870s by adding aspic ( double boiled chicken soup cooked with pork hide and made into a jelly ) to his pork barrel mince. This is why one pungency into the dumpling fills your mouth with a first-come-first-serve of sweet-salty broth .
“ What ’ s then delightful about Nanxiang ’ sulfur xiaolongbao is the clear broth and diaphanous peel, ” says Madam Fu, a Shanghainese I spoke to. According to her, even though Shanghai now has enough of great dumpling places, Nanxiang ( the modern name for the Ri Hua Xuan restaurant ) still manages to fend off its competitors .
“ Plus, the dumplings are thus dainty, ” she adds .
It ’ s their petite size that seems to have won the hearts of many. The dumplings started out bigger, and were called the Nanxiang district attorney rou baozi, meaning large meat-filled buns from Nanxiang. Huang changed them into the size we know today .
Customers flock to this restaurant which besides has branches at the Chenghuang Temple and Guyi Garden .
“ Shanghai ’ mho xiaolongbao are all effective, ” says Madam Fu, but admits, “ I still prefer the Wuxi ones, which are sweet and have a tip of soy sauce in the taste. ”
Read more: Homemade Dumplings
Soup filled buns in Shanghai, China. Photo credit: Getty Images/Andre Vogelaere
Xiaolongbao in Wuxi and Changzhou
Less than an hour west from Shanghai by bullet train train, Wuxi is quieter than its bustle neighbor ; hera, a turn into an bowling alley might bring the surprise view of a duct, or the lush greenery of a garden .
It ’ second no wonder that Emperor Qianlong ( 1711 -1799 ) fell in love with xiaolongbao here. Legend has it that the taiwanese Emperor was given the local forte xiaolongbao to try when he was traveling through the region, and immediately took a like to them. The xiaolongbao of Wuxi became celebrated throughout China .
Tina Huang, a Changzhou native who immediately lives in Wuxi, disputes this floor of the origins of xiaolongbao. She says that it is Changzhou – the adjacent city to Wuxi – where xiaolongbao originated, specifically in the Wanhua Teahouse, during the predominate of Emperor Daoguang ( 1821–1850 ) in the Qing Dynasty. Huang says when the osmanthus flowers blooming and their scents fill the atmosphere, she knows it ’ s the season for crab xiaolongbao .
“ Changzhou dumplings are less sweet than those from Wuxi. In fact, from Changzhou to Shanghai to Wuxi, the dumplings get odoriferous and gratifying ! ” she laughs .
“ Wu Xi, once called Yi Qin Yuan, is my darling haunt for xiaolongbao in Wuxi, ” she adds. “ It ’ s a hole in the wall but food is bum and service is flying ! ” I make a mental note of that for following time .
Learning to make traditional Chinese soup dumplings. Photo credit: Unsplash/Frank Zhang
Hangzhou’s Delicious Dumplings
In fact, all cities in the Jiangnan region seem to have their own version of xiaolongbao. Just over 100mi ( 176km ) southwest of Shanghai and an hour on the bullet train train, my dumpling venture continues in Hangzhou, a city built around the breathless West Lake, famed for the tragic caption of taiwanese scholar Xu xian and Madam White Snake .
Hangzhou dumplings are heavily influenced by people from Kaifeng in Henan province, 560mi ( 900km ) northwest of Shanghai. They are not as widely known as those from Shanghai or Wuxi, however, when savoring them in the poetic surrounds of Hangzhou I feel like I am immersing myself in a wuxia ( chinese martial heroes ) movie .
A tip from a cab driver brings me to Xin Feng Snacks, which he says is the best rate to try these dumplings .
Its house especial – prawn dumplings – are delicious. I share a communal table with an old couple, feeling a little inadequate as they pick up their dumplings expertly, take a bantam pungency and sip the broth. As for me, I scorch my tongue as I take besides big a bite, and the ball of kernel plops rebelliously into my bowl.
Hangzhou natives even have a chant to go with eating xiaolongbao : “ pluck it up gently, move it lento, first open the ‘ window ’, then drink the soup ”. It broadly means that you should be careful with these dumplings, as the hide is delicate and breaks easily. It ’ sulfur best to nibble off the top inaugural – open the “ windowpane ” – then sip the soup inside .
I pick up my dumpling again with a few shreds of pep, dim it into the slightly false Chinkiang vinegar, put it on my spoon and attempt a nibble. The rich season of the filling – a medley of pork and prawn kernel interracial in with the creamy broth – bursts forth in my mouth and lingers. The old couple at the table gives me a nod of blessing, and so does my stomach .
May my dumpling adventure never end.
