Jiangnan Recipe

Xiao Long Bao

Jiangnan · Makes 24 · Longer project

Xiao long bao are Jiangnan soup dumplings with thin wrappers, pork filling, and gelatinized broth that melts during steaming.

Why this dish works

Soup dumplings are a project recipe because the broth must be set into jelly before wrapping. The dish teaches wrapper delicacy, broth management, and careful eating.

Recipe at a glance

Item Detail
Makes 24 dumplings
Time Longer project
Core technique Soup dumpling wrapping and steaming
Heat level Mild
Best with Black vinegar and ginger

Ingredients

  • 24 thin dumpling wrappers
  • 8 oz ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 scallion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • White pepper
  • 1 cup strong pork or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon gelatin or natural aspic
  • Black vinegar and ginger

Method

  1. Bloom gelatin in stock, warm until dissolved, chill until firm, then chop into cubes.
  2. Mix pork with ginger, scallion, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and white pepper.
  3. Fold chopped stock jelly into the filling.
  4. Place filling in wrappers and pleat tightly.
  5. Line a steamer with parchment or cabbage leaves.
  6. Steam dumplings until wrappers are translucent and filling is cooked.
  7. Serve carefully with black vinegar and ginger.

Menu-literacy notes

  • 小笼包 / xiao long bao: soup dumplings, not ordinary dry dumplings.
  • Broth jelly: melts during steaming to create soup.
  • Thin wrappers: important but difficult at home.
  • Eating method: bite carefully or spoon first to avoid spilling hot broth.

Variations and substitutions

  • Use premade wrappers for a practical home version.
  • Use crab and pork filling for a richer version.
  • Make larger dumplings if thin wrapping is difficult.
  • Use chicken stock for a lighter filling.

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