Chinese Steamed Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) Recipe | SideChef (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between steamed dumplings and xiao long bao? ›

Xiao long bao differ from traditional pork dumplings in one key way: the inside of the dumpling also contains a small amount of rich, delicious soup broth. For this reason, xiao long bao are also commonly referred to as soup dumplings. Xiao long bao are traditionally served in a piping hot bamboo steamer.

Xiaolongbao are traditionally filled with pork. More modern innovations include other meats, seafood, shrimp, crab meat, and vegetarian fillings. Soup dumplings are created by wrapping solid meat aspic inside the skin alongside the meat filling. Heat from steaming then melts the gelatin-gelled aspic into soup.

The soup inside xiao long bao is usually made by making the stock from scratch and then chilled to gelatinize the soup. The stock is usually made with chicken feet and pork skin as these two have a high amount of collagen and will gelatinize nicely when chilled.

Soup dumplings, which contain broth that's solid at room temperature and turns to liquid when steamed. Minced meat and/or vegetables. Sweet fillings, such as fruits, nuts, or sweetened cheese. No filling, such as solid dumplings like gnocchi or knödel.

Whilst the dumplings received much adoration, the name didn't stick, eventually changing to xiao long bao, meaning 'little basket bun'.

Xiao Long Bao (XLB), or soup dumplings, are probably the most famous of Shangai's steamed dumplings, and rightly so. These are delicately pleated balls of dough with broth and pork meat filling. Yes - they don't float in the soup. Instead, they encase the yummy warm broth inside the dough wrapper.

Xiaolongbao (小笼包) are small steamed buns, originally from the Jiangnian region in China, especially connected to Shanghai and Wuxi.

No one really knows whose idea it was to create this culinary gem, but all that's known is that it originated in Shanghai outskirts. Though it came from China, it's Taiwan that popularized this dish globally that's why if you're in the country, don't miss xiao long bao aside from your trusty bubble teas.

Black Vinegar for Soup Dumplings

They're also the most traditional way of enjoying soup dumplings, alongside thin slices of fresh ginger.

At the cult Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung, famous for its xiao long bao dumpling (soup dumplings), every morsel is made with surgical precision: Each piece of dough weighs 5 grams and is filled with 16 grams of filling, and each finished dumpling must have at least 18 delicate folds twirled to a close at the ...

Why does xiao long bao have 18 folds? ›

Some say there are 18 folds because the number is considered lucky in Chinese culture. Din Tai Fung says that after continuous testing, they found that 18 folds is the golden ratio of making the perfect xiaolongbao. Din Tai Fung chefs fill dumplings with minced pork at the restaurant's Taiwan location.

You can steam dumplings in 8-10 minutes. To prevent your dumplings from sticking to your steamer, brush oil directly onto the base of your steamer and the base of dumplings, place your dumplings on lettuce leaves, or line your steamer with baking paper with small holes cut out to allow steam to come through.

Frozen dumplings will stick to the bamboo inside a steamer, so you need to line it first. If you've got some Napa cabbage in the fridge, the leaves make great steamer liners. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper to make a breathable non-stick surface.

To Summarize. In summary, bao buns are made from fermented yeast dough, while dumplings are only made from wheat flour without the yeast. Since bao dough contains yeast, it needs more time to rise and results in thinner skin than dumplings. In terms of cooking, baos are usually steamed, baked, and sometimes pan-fried.

Wrappers: Wonton wrappers are thinner, are usually square, and may contain egg. Dumpling wrappers are thicker, are usually round, and don't require egg. Filling: Dumplings can be filled or unfilled. Wontons always have a well-seasoned filling.

Made with a mix of flour, yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil, the bao is a tad sweeter than its closely related cousin, the dumpling. It is a type of filled bun or bread-like dumpling that originates from Chinese cuisines. Renowned for being light and fluffy, the perfect bao should be light, round and soft.