How to Eat Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings) the Right Way

It’s hard to point out which dish is the most iconic Taiwanese cuisine. As a country praised for various kinds of yummy local foods, each Taiwanese cuisine has its own fans.

XiaoLongBao (soup dumplings) is certainly among them, and it is the dish that made the Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung famous around the world. Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants, not dishes, but Din Tai Fung’s Hong Kong branch received one Michelin star in 2010, which brought global attention to the humble soup dumpling.

XiaoLongBao are bite-sized steamed buns featuring paper-thin wrappings and tender pork meatballs. You would expect a lot of indigenous cuisine around the world, such as sushi, to have their own mini ritual when it comes to enjoying them. XiaoLongBao is no exception. (MyProGuide's Friendly Reminder: Be careful when you take a bite, the broth inside Xiaolongbao is very hot)

Here are five easy steps to savor XiaoLongBao.

Step 1: Use your chopsticks to grab a XiaoLongBao from its top, and place it in the spoon.

Step 2: Poke a small hole to let out the broth.

Step 3: Pick up ginger shreds generously and put them on top of the XiaoLongBao.

Step 4: Dip it in the sauce. You can adjust the amount of sauce according to personal preference.

Step 5: Finally, eat in one bite and beware of the hot broth! Ta-da! That is how you eat XiaoLongBao like a pro.

It may look just a little complicated, but it comes fairly natural once you get used to it. Do locals really eat XiaoLongBao this way? A fair amount of locals eat XiaoLongBao according to these guidelines. Of course, there are people simply dip it in the sauce and eat it right away. Regardless of how locals eat, it’s worth going through these steps to enjoy it properly as a traveler, especially if you can’t come to Taiwan often. Eating XiaoLongBao has become such a normal part of our daily lives that we don’t think twice about savoring them in their full integrity.

Another great way to enjoy this dish is to make them yourself. The process of rolling out the skin and crafting teeny tiny XiaoLongBao is always intriguing. To add to the argument, this was what Hollywood star Tom Cruise tried out when he came to Taiwan. Some restaurants and cooking studios in Taipei offer dumpling-making classes, so ask a local guide to find one for you!

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Cover photo: Okadiputera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons