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. |
In classic Hong Kong service, wontons often go into the bowl first, noodles sit on top, and broth is ladled in last to protect noodle texture.
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.