Dish Family Guide
Chinese Dumpling Guide
Chinese dumplings are a broad family: boiled jiaozi, pan-fried potstickers, wontons, har gow, siu mai, xiao long bao, buns, and regional wrapped foods follow different menu logic.
Category map
| Category | What it means | Common signals |
|---|---|---|
| Jiaozi | Northern-style dumplings, boiled, steamed, or pan-fried. | Wheat wrapper, pork, shrimp, soy dipping sauce. |
| Wonton | Thin-wrapped dumplings, often served in soup. | Wheat wrapper, pork, shrimp, broth. |
| Har gow | Cantonese shrimp dim sum dumpling. | Shellfish, wheat starch, shared steamer. |
| Siu mai | Open-topped dim sum dumpling. | Pork, shrimp, wheat wrapper. |
| Xiao long bao | Soup dumplings. | Pork, broth, wheat wrapper, hot liquid. |
| Bao | Steamed or baked buns, filled or plain. | Wheat, pork, egg, dairy, sugar depending on filling. |
Ordering strategy
Treat the dish family as a clue, not a complete answer. The restaurant format, sauce, wrapper, broth, and filling usually matter more than the English category name.