The Interesting Story of Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

If you’re a dumpling fan, then there is no way that you haven’t tried the Xiao Long Bao or soup dumplings. And, if you’re new to the world of dumplings, then you should know about these comforting little pockets.

Soup dumplings are probably the most famous of Shanghai’s steamed dumplings, and rightly so. These are delicately pleated balls of dough with broth and pork meat filling. Yes – they don’t float in the soup. Instead, they encase the warm broth inside the dough wrapper.

There’s no doubt that eating the soup dumplings is an experience, but do you know where these delicacies come from? That’s what we’re going to talk about here.

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Who Invented Xiao Long Bao?

Despite being featured in Michelin-star restaurants today, the XLB comes from humble beginnings. They first appeared in 19th-century Shanghai, when the steam bun market had become competitive. A small restaurant owner, Huang Mingxian, accidentally created these Chinese soup dumplings. He added aspic (gelatin) to his pork filling and steamed it. He quickly realized that the dumpling had filled up with soup.

Once he got the taste of the soupy dumpling and realized how delicious it was, he immediately knew he’d invented something great and that the masses would love it equally. He added them to his restaurant Ri Hua Xuan’s menu.

Aspic (jellied pork meat) became the magic ingredient in the XLB. However, preparing it in the 19th century required intensive labor. Cooks slowly boiled animal bones and let the broth simmer for hours. Once it cooled, the broth turned into aspic. So only a few people ventured into making these soup dumplings, and Huang had little to no competition.

He originally named these dumplings nanxiang da rou mantou, which literally means sizable meat-filled bun from Nanxiang. The name didn’t catch on, but the delicious taste of the buns certainly did. Soon, people were lining up to get a bite. Over time, the name became much shorter than what it is today: Xiao (small), Long (basket), Bao (bun).

The Rise of Chinese Soup Dumplings Worldwide

In 1958, the first Din Tai Fung restaurant opened in Taipei. It began as a cooking oil retail business, but the owner had the vision to turn it into something more. With the help of a chef from eastern China, the team began experimenting with steamed dumplings – and the rest is history.

What made Din Tai Fung's soup dumplings so special was that the chef didn't follow a recipe. He simply had a knack for making them perfectly. He went on to train apprentices in dumpling-making, but the training process wasn’t easy. According to the restaurant, apprentices spent weeks observing how to make the dumplings before moving into groups and learning to perfect every detail under tight time frames.

This rigorous training eventually paid off. Over time, people began to know Din Tai Fung for its generation of XLB experts. As the restaurant's reputation grew, its popularity soared. What started as a ground-floor establishment, with the owner's family living above and renting out the other floors to students, soon expanded to occupy all four floors. The family even moved to a bigger building nearby to accommodate the growing number of patrons flocking to their buzzing business.

If you’ve ever searched for “soup dumplings near me”, chances are you were hoping to find something with this level of care and craft.

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United Dumplings’ Love for Xiao Long Bao

At United Dumplings, we have a deep love for all things dumplings, and when it comes to the XLB, we like to pull out all the stops. Our Jumbo XLB is particularly loved and comes with a straw so you can slurp up the warm broth and tender pork filling.

Plus, from the ever-popular pork XLB to our delicate vegetarian soup dumplings, there’s something here for every kind of dumpling lover.

And if you can’t make it to one of our locations, don’t worry – our frozen dumplings bring the magic of XLB right to your kitchen, one steamer basket at a time.