Siu Mai

Siu mai are a cornerstone of Cantonese dim sum, distinguished by their open top which reveals the filling — a mixture of minced pork, whole prawns and diced Chinese mushrooms bound lightly with sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy and white pepper. The thin wheat-flour wrapper is pleated around the filling and pinched into a cup shape that holds the filling exposed at the top. A single orange dot of fish roe (tobiko) or a small square of carrot is placed on top for visual identification and a slight textural contrast. A properly made siu mai should hold its shape without the filling collapsing, and the pork should retain enough fat to stay moist throughout steaming. They are always served in sets of three or four from a bamboo steamer basket. Inland Chinese versions in Beijing and Shanghai sometimes substitute lamb, but the Cantonese pork-prawn version is the most widely served.