Xiaolongbao

This is an image of a serving of ‘Juicy Pork Buns’ served at Beijing Cafe located on Commonwealth Avenue. On the menu, the Chinese characters 小笼包 (xiao long bao) which is the traditional name for these soup-filled buns. Although these are considered ‘buns’, they closely

resemble dumplings. They share a similar ‘wrapper’ which is a simple dough rolled extremely thin in order to be able to pinch it closed to create the grooves seen on the top of the bun. Each bun is filled with two things, firstly a pork filling which is a combination of pork, spices, and vegetables. The buns are also filled with a broth which complements the pork filling very nicely and makes for a nice surprise when you bite into the buns. They may look unassuming at first but when you bite into one you are greeted with steam and aromas of the herbs, spices, and pork in the center. The buns are served in this circular streaming dish with tall edges and holes in the bottom. It is built this way to allow steam to seep into the container to allow the buns to be cooked. I was surprised when served with this metal container as traditionally the steaming dish is constructed out of bamboo. These steaming dishes are called Xiaolong, hence the name Xiaolongbao as bao is the Chinese word for bun. The buns lay on top of a piece of parchment paper that prevents them from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes the eating experience much easier. The dish is served with a stainless steel spoon which serves two purposes; to help detach the base of the dumplings from the pan and to collect any soup that may have spilled out during the transportation process. This is the first time I have ever been served Xiaolongbao with a spoon, however, I assume this is because it is assumed that the knowledge of how to use chopsticks is less common here than in Hong Kong. Xiaolongbao are often particularly difficult to pick up using chopsticks due to the fact that the bun is quite soft and the bun as a whole is quite heavy as there is filling and soup inside. The soup also makes the base very flimsy. I was also surprised upon seeing this spoon as usually dumplings are served with a traditional Chinese soup spoon that is ceramic and has a much deeper indent as this makes it more practical for holding the soup. The steaming dish sits upon a basic white plate which simply serves the purpose of aiding transportation as the metal steaming dish is very hot when the buns are first served. This is another reason for the use of a bamboo steamer as the bamboo does not become too hot.

I really enjoyed the experience of deconstructing the image of these dumplings and getting to analyze all the different details. I was surprised that such little things could impact the dining experience and that such a simple dish could be served so differently from one place to another. After this dining experience, I began to reflect on various experiences of consuming Chinese food in different places and other ways they may have been different from one another. I wanted to find out more about why different places served Chinese food in different ways and what factors influenced these differences. I grew up in Hong Kong and attended a British international school, however, I spent my summers in the US and now go to school in Boston. I have experienced Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong and the US and my peers have told me about their unique experiences of Chinese food in the UK. I decided that it would be interesting to connect these various parts of my childhood and relate it to something that I love to do, eat Chinese food! I have chosen to focus my research on Hong Kong, Boston, and London and compare Chinese food in these three areas and what has influenced it.

Photograph by Sophia Grandolfo