Soup dumplings are an essential part of any Chinese meal, but not everyone knows what they are or how to eat them. The bite-sized food consists of a shell made from dough, which can come from several different sources of starch. It is soft and chewy. The inside contains hot soup made from a variety of ingredients. Cooks often recommend that diners consume the soup dumpling in one bite to fully appreciate the combined taste of the thin flour wrapper, meat filling, and broth.
Common Mistakes When People Eat Soup Dumplings for the First Time
Since the Chinese eat most food with chopsticks, some diners assume that this is also the correct way to eat a soup dumpling. However, the dumpling istoo delicate to pick up or poke with a chopstickand will leak the broth of the soup all over the table or plate. Another common mistake is to grab it with fingers or a fork and place the whole thing in the mouth. That can be painful when the dumpling breaks open and hot soup spills out.
Use a Soup Spoon
Chinese restaurants typically serve dumplings with a large soup spoon, signaling to diners thatthis is what they should use to eat the dumpling. However, the diner still needs to get the dumpling onto the spoon. He or she can accomplish this by using a pair of chopsticks and picking it up closest to the knot. For those not wanting to risk a puncture, asking the wait staff for a pair of tongs is the next best option.
How Diners Can Eat a Soup Dumpling without Burning Their Mouth
As mentioned above, it’s best for people not to put the whole dumpling in their mouth at once. Instead, they should take a small bite from the side of the dumpling while it’s still on the soup spoon. This allows some of the hot broth to drain so the diner can slurp on it first.
If the restaurant uses smaller soup spoons, it’s best to take a small bite from the top of the dumpling first. After allowing a few moments for it to cool down, the diner can suck the hot broth through the top of the dumpling and then place the remainder of it in his or her mouth for chewing.
It can take a few sessions of trial and error, but it won’t be long before the person new to soup dumplings eats them like a pro.
To eat them you pick them up with chopsticks, dip them gingerly into sauce,* then proceed by either nibbling off a corner of dough and sucking out the soup, or by downing the whole thing in one go, letting it burst in your mouth like a savory Chinese Gusher. *Don't you just love a good Tom Swiftie?
1. Bite Off the Top of the Dumpling. This is the best way to eat soup dumplings if you prefer eating yours in one bite. However, for safety, we still recommend biting off the pointed top of the dumpling skin to let the steam escape.
Dumplings are traditionally boiled or steamed, but another fun way to prepare dumplings is to pan-fry them so they are super crispy on the bottom. Pair them with P.F. Chang's White Rice and some veggies to make a wonderful meal!
Many Chinese restaurants serve pan-fried dumplings with a soy-ginger sauce, which is easy to recreate at home with only four ingredients needed. You simply combine soy sauce, minced ginger, sesame oil, and a little white pepper.
Dim sum is not meant to be eaten in one bite; it's not sushi. The flavors are best enjoyed when eaten slowly. More complex dim sum such as Xiao long has to be eaten carefully. Allow the soup to cool down before taking a bite.
When eating Gyoza, they shouldn't be eaten on their own, a good dipping sauce is essential. This can be as simple or as complicated as you'd like. Many eat their Gyoza with just soy sauce for dipping, if you wanted to be a little more adventurous you could pick a Ponzu sauce for an additional citrus tang.
Serve: Scoop the dumplings up with a spatula and place on a serving plate. Serve with soy sauce and chili paste for dipping, or rice vinegar mixed with soy sauce. Best served fresh – I get another batch cooking as we eat the freshly cooked ones!
They're good for lunch or dinner or breakfast. They're good steaming hot just out of the boiling pot, they're good cold, eaten standing in front of the fridge. Between the filling and the wrapper, a dumpling covers at least three food groups.
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