How To Eat A Soup Dumpling

There are many different types of dumpling in Chinese cuisine. Soup dumplings, sometimes known as Shanghai dumplings, are small buns filled with soup as well as meat or vegetables. They are cooked by steaming them in a bamboo basket, and are often served as part of a dim sum meal with vinegar and strips of ginger. They can be very tricky, and even dangerous, to eat, because when they are bitten into the hot soup tends to squirt out. So, this is the method of eating soup dumplings without burning yourself or making a mess.

Step 1: Bite a hole

The dumplings will usually be served to you steaming hot in a bowl of vinegar inside a basket with a lid. Start off by picking up the hot dumpling with your chopsticks and transfer it to a soup spoon so that you can hold it near your mouth. The seam where the skin of the dumpling comes together will be facing up, so try to keep it upright. Pick up the dumpling with your chopsticks and take a small bite from near the top of it. This will allow the buildup of steam and heat to escape.

Step 2: Eat it whole

When you think the dumpling has cooled down enough, put it in your mouth whole and eat it. Alternatively, some people prefer to bite a hole and then suck the soup out before eating the dumpling. Never bite a soup dumpling in half as this will cause the soup to squirt out.