The History and Origin of Soup Dumplings, and How to Eat Them (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of soup dumplings? ›

While its origins are often debated, most agree that the xiao long bao's story begins in the Shanghai suburb of Nanxiang over nearly 150 years ago. It is believed that Huang Mingxian wanted to create a dumpling that would surprise and delight the guests of his restaurant, Ri Hua Xuan.

As mentioned above, it's best for people not to put the whole dumpling in their mouth at once. Instead, they should take a small bite from the side of the dumpling while it's still on the soup spoon. This allows some of the hot broth to drain so the diner can slurp on it first.

Most experts believe that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD. As legend tells it, it was a difficult winter and many were experiencing ill effects from the cold.

1. Dip your spoon into the soup with the spoon facing away from you and then scoop the soup away from you rather than towards you. 2. As you lift the spoon out of the soup, gently touch the underside of the soupspoon to the far edge of the soup bowl.

What's the history of the soup dumpling? The origin of these tasty morsels dates back to the 1870s, when it's said Shanghai chef Huang Mingxian added aspic to his pork mince before sealing and steaming his dumplings.

What you do is wrap the jelly into the dumpling along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Once cooked, the gelatin will melt down and become the soupy part of the filling.

Sometimes called "soup dumplings," xiao long bao are a round, purse-shaped dumpling made of a relatively thick (thicker and doughier than jiaozi, for instance) wheat wrapper, which is crimped on the top. Although it's called a soup dumpling, xiao long bao are not actually filled with soup.

“If it's fairly lean meat to start with, the dumpling is going to be quite low in fat in that sense,” Austin said. The same goes for frozen dumplings you buy from the supermarket. As long as they're not pre-deep fried and contain whole, healthy ingredients they are an okay option, according to Austin.

Soup dumplings are a great choice as a main course, side dish, or midnight snack. As for what you should serve with your soup dumplings, that's totally up to you! Some popular choices are Chinese noodles, steamed vegetables, stir-fry, spring rolls, ramen, and fried rice.

What is the culture of soup dumplings? ›

But soup dumplings aren't just delicious—and fun—to eat; they also carry cultural significance, especially in Chinese tradition, which makes eating them all the more special. “Like all dumplings, the soup dumpling signifies wealth and prosperity.

Dumplings are eaten during Chinese New Year because the dumplings themselves look like money pouches and are said to represent fortune and prosperity in the coming year.

The first dumpling recipe appeared in a Roman cookery manuscript called Apicius, which was assumed to have been written sometime in around A.D. 400, and archeologists have found evidence of dumplings being eaten in China during the Tang dynasty and in Switzerland as far back as 3,600 B.C..

Many villagers were unable to cope with the harsh cold and suffered from frostbite, especially around their ears. Spurred into action, Zhang cooked up lamb, black peppers, and a few medicinal herbs, shredded them, then wrapped them in scraps of dough. He folded the dumplings to look like little ears and boiled them.

Jiaozi are usually boiled, steamed, or fried, and they continue to be a traditional dish. In Northern China, dumplings are commonly eaten with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and chilli oil or paste, and occasionally with some soy sauce added in.

Because soup dumplings have a pleasant rich flavor in their own right, topping them with an acidic sauce made with vinegar is a great way to balance out the flavors. That way, the acidity cuts through the umami flavor in a way that allows it to still shine through in every bite.