Xiaolongbao Soup Dumplings
Paper-thin dumplings hiding pork and hot gelatin broth.
Spice levelNot spicy (0/5 — order “wēi là” 微辣 for mild)
What it is
The soup dumpling proper — skin thin enough to see broth swirl, pleated shut in 18 folds, born in Nanxiang in 1871 and now Shanghai's culinary flag. The soup inside is aspic: it melts as it steams.
How to order like a local
The ritual: set on the spoon, nip the side, sip the broth, vinegar-dip, eat. Rushing the first one is a rite of passage — the roof of your mouth writes the lesson. Ginger in black vinegar is the only correct dip.
Good to know
A basket of six to ten runs 15-60 CNY depending on house and filling. One basket is a snack; two with a side is lunch.
More to eat in Shanghai
- Nanxiang Steamed Bun
Yu Garden original since 1900; the birthplace of xiaolongbao.
- Huanghe Road Food Street
Old-school Shengjian and noodle houses behind People's Square.