Xiâolóngbāo (小籠包)

Traditionally, the filling of Xiao long bao consists of fatty pork with plenty of extra connective tissue, fresh chopped ginger, chopped leek and rice vinegar. Like the mixing of the pork fat with the dough, the filling balances the pork with vegetables and spices. This is essential in any dish native to China, and is representative of the fact that even though Xiao long man tou is a relatively new culinary invention; its roots go far beyond the metropolitan cuisine of Shanghai. The variation of colors – the green leeks, the white ginger, and the brown pork – fulfills the color aspect of Chinese culinary art requirements. 

The most traditional ingredient in the filling is the pork. The pig is considered one of three superior domesticated animals, referred to by the Chinese as the three Sheng or sacrificed animals. It is thought that pig is one of the earliest components of early Chinese diets, however it is not until 5000 years after the Neolithic, around 3000 BC, that archeological evidence can confirm the widespread consumption of pig. Like wheat, the pig is thought to have come to China via the Silk Road, and was part of the staple diet of early Chinese along with wheat and unrefined flour – particularly in northern and eastern China. The use of pork as the key-filling ingredient was most likely borrowed from the Baozi, which as previously discussed is the most immediate antecedent of Xiao long mantou. The pork filling is responsible for the most unique aspect of Shanghai Soup dumplings, the soup that materializes during the steaming of the dumpling. The original recipe for the dumplings called for a cut of meat with excess connective tissue. When the tissue was steamed, it liquefied, creating the soup component of the dumpling. More modern recipes call for the addition of pulverized pork fat and/or gelatin to be added to the filling.