Xialongbao

[goodfood]

Kung hei fat choi to all. Gong Xi fa cai too. Just back from a fabulous 4 days in Shanghai. Highlights too many to mention here but guzzling the Munich beer Paulaner, freshly brewed at the Paulaner Brahaus in Shanghai's old frenchtown, and experiencing the New Year festivities in Shanghai's oldest Taoist temple packed with thousands of chanting and joss-stick holding locals .. were some of the top ones.

But pride of place goes to the world's best dumpling - the Shanghainese xialongbao (pronounced zalongbao) - which is made by women in white overalls and available in every street corner for the princely sum of 5 yuan for 12. Filled with pork mince, pork fat and scalding oil. Bloody marvellous.

[shri]

scalding oil. Bloody marvellous.

Eh???? Scalding Oil?

[goodfood]

Well the technique is like this. When the steamerfull of dumplings arrive, you make very small holes on the dumpling surface so that the internal heat evaporates quickly and you can put the whole thing into your mouth.

Of course you've got to do this carefully. While making the incision, you don't want to get the oil/juice out. Takes a little bit of practice. But once you master it - as I said - bloody marvellous.