A Regional Dumpling Tour of China by City

Dumpling is an umbrella term that in English flattens a large and regionally differentiated category. In Chinese, jiaozi, baozi, xiaolongbao, huntun, guotie, and shumai are all distinct. This guide organises them by city.

Beijing: boiled crescent jiaozi (pork and cabbage, pork and chive) and pan-fried guotie eaten for breakfast. Xi'an Muslim Quarter: beef and lamb fillings, no pork, thicker wrappers, eaten with vinegar. Shanghai: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings with aspic broth that liquefies inside) and sheng jian bao (pan-fried with soup and sesame). Chengdu: zhong dumplings served cold with chilli oil, garlic, and sweet soy. Guangzhou: dim sum traditions including har gow (shrimp in wheat-starch wrapper), shumai (pork and prawn), and wu gok (taro crust). Xinjiang: manta, large lamb and onion steamed buns in the Central Asian tradition. Harbin: northeast pork dumplings showing Russian pelmeni influence.