Xiaolongbao

Xiaolongbao is a type of Chinese soup dumpling, or tangbao, traditionally steamed in a small bamboo basket called a xiaolong. The dish originated in Changzhou in Jiangsu province, evolving from earlier soup-filled dumplings, with a Shanghai style variant developing in the Nanxiang area, later absorbed into Shanghai's Jiading District. Its dough wrapper encases minced pork or other meat along with lard and gelatin, and as the dumpling steams the gelatin melts into liquid, filling the dumpling with soup around the meat. Diners typically lift the delicate dumpling with a spoon and bite a small opening to sip the broth before eating the rest, taking care not to spill the soup inside.