If you want to vote for the representative of Shanghai snacks, then xiaolongbao will definitely come out on top. Xiaolongbao is famous for its "big stuffing, thin skin, small body and juicy body", and the Wu language area is used to calling it Xiaolong steamed buns, which has a high status in the Jiangnan food industry. The history of xiaolongbao can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty, and according to legend, it was introduced from the north to the south in the late Northern Song Dynasty and carried forward in the Jiangnan area. Therefore, some people say that xiaolongbao resembles soup dumplings in the north, and they can be regarded as distant relatives when they can be traced back to their roots.

Shanghai xiaolongbao is represented by Nanxiang xiaolongbao, which was included in the national intangible cultural heritage in August 2014. It and the "Wuxi Xiaolong" representing the Soviet-style xiaolong are the two heroes of the xiaolongbao in the Wuyu area, and you can often hear that their lovers reproach each other for not being authentic, which can't help but cause onlookers to send out the feeling of "this is the same root, why is it too anxious to fry each other". There is a big difference between Shanghai xiaolong and Suzhou-style xiaolong: Shanghai xiaolong is smaller, the skin is thinner, the soup is refreshing because there is no soy sauce in the meat filling, and the taste is mainly salty and fresh; The Suzhou-style xiaolong, on the other hand, is larger, and the soup is dark in color due to the soy sauce added to the meat filling, and the flavor is fresh and sweet.

Shanghai Xiao Long is the ultimate in thinning the skin, rolling the dough until it is firm, and when steamed, it becomes translucent, and diners can even see the soup flowing in it. The soup is the soul of xiao long bao, but it is not "poured into" it. Instead, the pork skin is boiled into a soup with water, and the residue is filtered out and frozen into a skin jelly and wrapped in the filling. Pork and crab roe are the most traditional meat fillings for xiao long bao, and now more and more businesses are adding chicken and shrimp.

If you want to ensure the flavor of xiaolongbao, it is best to steam and eat it now, so there is also a saying that "it is better for people to wait for the bun than to wait for the bun". The way to eat xiao long bao is also very particular, gently lift the xiao long bao to the side of your mouth with chopsticks, take a small bite, inhale the soup, and finally put the whole xiao long into your mouth. However, if you are in a hurry, you can't eat hot soup dumplings, so it is recommended to blow the xiaolong lightly before putting it into your mouth to make sure it is not so hot before enjoying it slowly.

In Shanghai, it is not difficult for diners to eat xiaolong, all kinds of soup dumpling restaurants are almost all over the streets and alleys, but if you want to eat a cage of top xiaolongbao, you need to be sharp-eyed, in addition to the old Shanghai oral tradition of Wanshou Zhai, Nanxiang steamed bun shop, there are many high-quality xiaolong restaurants hidden on the side of the street, curious diners can pay attention to the Shanghai xiaolong steamed bun restaurant recommendation list.

Recommended Merchants:

The house is fresh

Business district: N/A

Address: No. 2073, Shendu Road, Zhaojialou, Pujiang Town, Minhang District, Shanghai

Telephone: 13564864907

Business hours: Monday to Sunday 07:30-16:00

Per capita: 70 yuan

Din Tai Fung (Kerry Store) 

Business district: Jing'an Temple area

Address: No. 415, 4th Floor, North District, Jing'an Kerry Centre, No. 1515 West Nanjing Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

Tel: 021-62178366, 021-62178376

Business hours: Monday to Sunday 11:00-21:00

Per capita: 150 yuan

Jiajia soup dumplings (Huanghe Road store)

Business district: People's Square area

Address: No. 90, Huanghe Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai

Phone: 021-63276878

Business hours: Monday to Sunday 07:30-20:00

Per capita: 40 yuan