Xiăolóngbāo Category: Did You Know | 0 Comment     22 views     August 8, 2009     RSS

Wikipedia says: Xiăolóngbāo, also known as soup dumpling, is a type of dumpling from the eastern Chinese region of Shanghai and Wuxi. It is traditionally steamed in small bamboo baskets, known as Xiăo Lóng, hence its name.

Xiăolóngbāo is more often known in Shanghai and its surrounding areas as xiăolóng mantou. Mantou describes both filled and unfilled buns in southern China, but only describes unfilled buns in northern China. To avoid confusion, the name Xiăolóngbāo is usually used in other areas.

Shanghai-style Xiăolóngbāo originated in Nanxiang a suburb of Shanghai in the Jiading District. The inventor of Xiăolóngbāo sold them in his first store in Nanxiang next to the town’s famous park, Guqi Garden. From there, the Xiăolóngbāo expanded into downtown Shanghai and outward.