Xiâolóngbāo (小籠包)

The key to answering this question is yes…kind of. The idea of conjuring the soup from within the dumpling is in fact new. However, the mixing of soup with many foods, including steamed wheat buns and dumplings, happened long before the Shanghai Soup Dumpling came into popularity. The idea of adding soup to the dumpling most likely came from the people of Shanxi and Hunan - provinces up the Yangtze River from Shanghai. Both regional cuisines center on wheat flour dough and soup. In addition, one of the primary staple dishes for the people of Shanxi is soaked steam buns dipped in mutton soup. Soup has an important role within Chinese Cuisine. Soup is paired with dishes to help bring out the essence of the dish it is paired with. Soup is meant to absorb and recreate the flavors of each component of a dish better then the combined ingredients themselves. In addition, the broth is salty, which adds a layer of umami and compliments the absorbed flavors further. Knowing the function and importance of soup in Chinese Cuisine augments the brilliance of Xiao long man tou. During the Ming/Quing dynasties when trade flourished and Shanghai became a highly populated trading port, these culinary clichés converged there and laid the foundation for Xiao long man tou.