Xiao Long Bao (小笼包) are a long withstanding personal culinary delight of mine — and to many others in many countries. They’re especially loved and relished all across China and the United States, where I’ve also (anecdotally) heard the proclamation that Shanghai is a “soup dumpling capital:” being able to be found on an array of different menus, from back alleys to Michelin-star restaurants. What is their history?
Though its origin is disputed, Xiao Long Bao are most commonly believed to have originated in late 19th-century Shanghai: during a time in which the steamed-bun market was becoming increasingly competitive. Restaurant owner Huang Mingxian invented his ‘little basket buns’ in an attempt to win out. He served them at his Ri Hua Xuan restaurant in Shanghai’s Nanxiang area. His dumplings stood out with the addition of his jellified soup that melted into a fresh broth when steamed.
Another proposed origin for the Xiao Long Bao is one rooted in a historical legend: in the 18th century, Emperor Qianlong tried the Xiao Long Bao when visiting a city near Shanghai. In his travels, he gained the nickname youlong, or ‘swimming dragon’ — some then attribute xiao long bao was named after him, as the word long means ‘dragon’ as well as ‘basket. ’
Sources:
https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/culture-dumplings.htm
Xiao Long Bao is one of my favorite dishes, and your article wants me to order them again this week. It’s cool how there can be completely different origins for such a famous meal.
我很喜欢这篇文章，我很喜欢吃小笼包而且小笼包还有很长的历史。
I never knew that the history behind these delicious treats was so interesting. I can’t believe that they date back to that long ago. Thanks for sharing!
Wow this is very interesting! I’m glad we are able to share a favorite food. I eat Xiao Long Bao once in a while and I never knew about the history of it. My favorite place to order from is Flushing. I also remember going to Xi’an with my classmates last year and we had Xiao Long Bao. It tasted different than what I normally eat but it was still good. After reading this article, I suddenly have a craving for Xiao Long Bao.
I personally have never tasted xiao long bao but it looks very delicious and I’ve heard about it. Both origin stories are very interesting and entertaining; thanks for sharing!
Hooray Xiao Long Bao! Although almost all Chinese families have had this dish, a lot of them probably don’t know the history behind the dish. Although there are conflicting opinions on where the dish originated, its undisputed that Xiao Long Bao is part of the Chinese’s culture cuisine
I love eating xiao long bao! The broth is one of my favorite parts! I’ve never known about the story of Emperor Qianlong, which explains a lot about the origins of the name xiaolongbao! I’d always wondered where the reference to “dragons” came from.
I’ve always wanted to try Xiao Long Bao! I find it fascinating that a dish can have such an interesting orgin story. Thank you for sharing! Your article was well-written, clear, and concise.
Xiao Long Bao has a very interesting origin! Just by looking at the image, it makes me want to try it.
Interesting article! Although I am not Chinese, I have tried Xiao Long Bao before because my family loves Chinese cuisine. However, I never knew its history, so this article was very educating for me.
Great article! I personally enjoy eating 小笼包. I was surprised to find out that 小笼包’s origins are still a mystery and there are so many stories related to where it came from. It was also very interesting to learn where 小笼包 got its name from.
I love eating Xiao Long Bao, it is definitely one of my favorites. The historical background of this small tasty dumpling is so interesting, especially how the name was coined and how it was first created. Thank you for sharing this with me! I’m definitely eating this later today!
This article makes me really want to try Xiao Long Bao! I never knew that food could have a story behind it. This just makes me want to try it even more! I think that after learning bout the history behind Xiao Long Bao, I will appreciate trying it much more. Thanks for the information!
Great article! I love eating 小笼包 and ate them very frequently before the pandemic started, but I had no clue about the origin or history behind 小笼包. I learned that 小笼包 is believed to have originated in late 19th-century Shanghai when restaurants were competing against each other for customers. I also learned that another origin is that Emperor Qianlong tried 小笼包 when visiting a city near Shanghai.
Great article! I’ve been eating 小笼包 at home and in restaurants ever since I was little. I like that its origin is interesting and even in speculation. It goes to show how much history is rooted in Chinese cuisine. Thanks for sharing!
Great article! I have been eating this dish since I was very little. I have always wondered how this dish was created. Now I know that although the origin is disputed, there is a leading origin story. Thanks for sharing!
Nice article! I learned of the origin of 小笼包. I think the history behind it is interesting.
Thank you so much for sharing this great information. Although I have previously tried this food, I have never learned about its origins. One thing that I love about Chinese culture is that people put so much effort in what they do to make it look nice. The xiao long bao is a food that looks very nice and tastes even better. Now, it is very cool to eat it and know its origins. Thank you.
Wow, nice article! I love to eat xiao long bao; in fact, I have it for lunch pretty frequently. I didn’t know that such a tasty dish could have such interesting backstories.
This was super interesting! I loved eating 小笼包 growing up, so it was great to learn about where it originated from. Great job!
Xiao long bao is so delicious! It is one of my favorite Chinese foods. I didn’t know that Shanghai is proclaimed as a soup dumpling capital. The different proposed origins of xiao long bao are very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
小笼包 is one of my favorite dishes to eat. I can easily eat a whole basket myself! Of course, the greatest part is the soup in the dumpling. As you say, it is “jellified” and melts into the hot soup encased by the peel. I did not know that 笼 was dragon, or that the meaning applied to this word.
Learning about the history and origin of xiao long bao was very interesting! I haven’t gotten the chance to try them yet, but It’s definitely on my bucket list!!
Andy, thank you for sharing an article about one of the most iconic Chinese foods! I enjoyed learning about the meaningful history of Xiao Long Bao (小笼包). I can’t believe one of the theories that its creation came out of a competition in the steamed-bun market. I wonder whether the Xiao Long Bao (小笼包) was initially a common food or luxurious delicacy. All in all, thank you for adding to my understanding of one of my favorite foods.
Wow, what a great article! I love eating xiao long bao! Reading this article is making me so hungry. It was so interesting to learn that restaurant owner Huang Mingxian created this delicious dish to win out in a competitive steamed-bun market. Thank you for sharing!
Xiao Long Bao is great, it was nice to learn the history behind it. Its interesting how there are multiple arguable origins. Thank you for the article.
Cool article Andy! I personally love xiao long bao, but never knew about the history behind the delicious dish. Thank you for sharing the origin story. I find it interesting to learn about the cultural background and importance behind such a dish.
Xiao Long Bao is one of my favorite foods. I had no idea that it originated in late 19th-century Shanghai. thank you for enlightening me.
I always eat Xiao Long Bao and I love the food in general. It was really cool to learn about the history of this awesome dish and it is really interesting how there are multiple proposed origins.
Xiao Long Bao is one of my favorite dishes from China. I never knew the history behind the dish, nor did I know that there were many possible origins of Xiao Long Bao. Amazing article!
我非常喜欢吃小笼包，小时候在上海的城隍庙里可以吃到正宗的上海小笼包。我个人非常喜欢吃蟹粉小笼包。而且非常的好吃，又鲜又好吃
Its nice to learn about different culinary dishes from different countries. Its an intresting part of Chinese culture.