Shaomai
Encyclopedia
Shumai, also called pork dumplings, is a traditional Chinese
dumpling
served in dim sum
.
, the fillings varied by season: spring- garlic chives, summer- mutton and pumpkin, autumn- crab meat, winter- mixed seafood.
Many varieties have been created as the shaomai was gradually introduced to all provinces, where it was adapted to the different regional tastes throughout China. However, most people in Western countries associate shaomai only with the Cantonese version due to the Cantonese diaspora.
. It is one of the oldest varieties of Shaomai and can be considered the origin of Shaomai.However, the present version is adapted from the Cantonese suimai which was inspired by the Huhhot shaomai from the Yuan Dynasty
.
The wrapping is a very thin, round sheet of unleavened dough, with a pleat border. There is only one kind of filling, consisting mainly of chopped or minced mutton, welsh onion and ginger. Huhhot Shaomai features its excessive use of welsh onion and ginger, creating a dense combined scent, and a slight spicy taste. The filling is put in the center of the wrapping and the border of the wrapping is loosely gathered above, forming a "neck" and a flower shaped top. The Shaomai is then cooked by steaming or pan-frying. Huhhot Shaomai is served in the unit of "Liang", which means that the total weight of the wrappings is approximately 50 grams. Actually, "Liang" means either eight steamed ones served in a steamer tier, or eight fried ones served in a dish. Huhhot Shaomai is commonly served with vinegar and tea, due to its greasiness.
(archaically known as Canton
). As prepared in Cantonese cuisine
, siumai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling." Its standard filling consisting primarily of ground pork, small whole or chopped shrimp, Chinese black mushroom, green onion
(also called shallots) and ginger
with seasonings of Chinese rice wine
e.g. Shaoxing
rice wine, soy sauce
, sesame oil
and chicken stock. Bamboo shoots
, water chestnuts and pepper can also be added. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye
water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of crab roe
or diced carrot
, although a green dot made with a pea may be used. The decorative presentations vary.
shaomai, this variety is made in Changsha, Hunan
(province neighbouring Guangdong). This shaomai is named so, due to its opening resembling the chrysanthemum flower petal shape with the egg-yolk. It is spicy with pepper and the wrapper is translucent. Filling largely consists of glutinous rice, pork hash
, shrimp, Chinese mushroom
(otherwise known as shiitake) bamboo shoots and onion.
region (south of the Yangtze River, stretching from Shanghai
to Nanjing
) are quite different. The wrapper is larger and tougher than the Cantonese version. Filling is similar to zongzi
, containing soy sauce
, Chinese rice wine
e.g. Shaoxing wine
, marinated pork pieces in glutinous rice and steamed with pork fat. It is larger in size than the Cantonese version.
of Xinjiang
province (norther-western China) adapted the shaomai to two regional varieties.The southern Xinjiang recipes differs slightly from the northern version in terms of ingredients and method. The filling of the northern version consists of mutton or beef, along with green onion
and radish, whereas the southern filling primarily uses glutinous rice
with smaller amounts of mutton or beef. Minced meat from sheep ribs containing some fat is ideal.
province, its distinct flavour comes from a blend of pork mince, bread flour, sesame seed powder, ground pepper and sugar.It is particularly popular in the area of Yifeng Tanshan Tianbao where it is one of the foods eaten during the Chinese New Year
celebration.
, pork mince, Chinese mushroom
(otherwise known as shiitake) and onion.The mince, Chinese mushrooms and onion are stir-fried before being made into shaomai which may then also be steamed.
have pork as the main ingredient and neither shrimp nor beef is used in the dough. Compared to the Chinese Shaomai which is minced, the meat in Japanese Shaomai is ground to a paste.
or siomai (sometimes called somay) in Indonesia
is pronounced the same way as its sisters and is usually a wonton wrapper, stuffed with filling and steamed. It is served also with steamed potatoes, tofu, hard boiled eggs, and is topped with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce
) and peanut sauce
. Because the population of Indonesia is largely Muslim
, pork siomay is rare and is usually made from various fish, most commonly wahoo
or horse mackerel
. This variant is less common in Western countries.
/Tagalog
: siyomay) in the Philippines is often ground pork, beef, shrimp, among others, combined with extenders like green peas, carrots and the like which is then wrapped in wonton wrappers. It is either steamed or fried resulting in a crispy exterior. It is normally dipped in soy sauce and squeezed calamondin
, and for some, with an oily, spicy garlic mix.
A recent variant on siomai is wrapped in nori
sheets instead of wonton
wrappers, and marketed as "Japanese."
Within the dim sum
tradition of southern China, shaomai is one of the most standard dishes. It is generally served alongside har gow, another variety of steamed dumpling containing shrimp, cooked pork fat, bamboo shoots and scallions; collectively these are known as hargow-sieu mai (蝦餃燒賣). Chinese dishes are traditionally eaten using chopsticks
.
In food stalls in Indonesia, siomai (or "siomay" in local dialect) are eaten together with steamed vegetables and tofu
, and served with spicy peanut sauce
.
In Philippine food stalls and fast food restaurants, siomai is eaten as is, with dip, toothpicks to facilitating handling, or with rice (using a spoon and fork).
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
dumpling
Dumpling
Dumplings are cooked balls of dough. They are based on flour, potatoes or bread, and may include meat, fish, vegetables, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may...
served in dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
.
Popular Chinese varieties
In the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, the fillings varied by season: spring- garlic chives, summer- mutton and pumpkin, autumn- crab meat, winter- mixed seafood.
Many varieties have been created as the shaomai was gradually introduced to all provinces, where it was adapted to the different regional tastes throughout China. However, most people in Western countries associate shaomai only with the Cantonese version due to the Cantonese diaspora.
Huhhot shaomai
Huhhot Shaomai is a regional variety in Huhhot, Inner MongoliaInner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
. It is one of the oldest varieties of Shaomai and can be considered the origin of Shaomai.However, the present version is adapted from the Cantonese suimai which was inspired by the Huhhot shaomai from the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
.
The wrapping is a very thin, round sheet of unleavened dough, with a pleat border. There is only one kind of filling, consisting mainly of chopped or minced mutton, welsh onion and ginger. Huhhot Shaomai features its excessive use of welsh onion and ginger, creating a dense combined scent, and a slight spicy taste. The filling is put in the center of the wrapping and the border of the wrapping is loosely gathered above, forming a "neck" and a flower shaped top. The Shaomai is then cooked by steaming or pan-frying. Huhhot Shaomai is served in the unit of "Liang", which means that the total weight of the wrappings is approximately 50 grams. Actually, "Liang" means either eight steamed ones served in a steamer tier, or eight fried ones served in a dish. Huhhot Shaomai is commonly served with vinegar and tea, due to its greasiness.
Cantonese siumai
This is the most well-known variety from the south-eastern province of GuangdongGuangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
(archaically known as Canton
Canton
- Administrative divisions :* Canton , territorial/administrative subdivision in some countries, notably Switzerland* Township , known as canton in Canadian French- China :...
). As prepared in Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
, siumai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling." Its standard filling consisting primarily of ground pork, small whole or chopped shrimp, Chinese black mushroom, green onion
Green onion
Green onion may refer to:*Scallion, various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully developed bulb*"Green Onions", a hit 1962 soul instrumental by Booker T...
(also called shallots) and ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
with seasonings of Chinese rice wine
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Unlike wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet grapes and other fruit, rice "wine" results from the fermentation of rice starch converted to sugars...
e.g. Shaoxing
Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing wine is one of the most famous varieties of huangjiu, or traditional Chinese wines, fermented from rice. It originates from the region of Shaoxing, in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. It is both drunk as a beverage as well as widely used in Chinese cuisine...
rice wine, soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
and chicken stock. Bamboo shoots
Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo Shoots is an American four-piece musical group based out of Brooklyn, New York and suburban New Jersey. They are known for their dueling, two-person rhythm section and their South Asian identity and influence...
, water chestnuts and pepper can also be added. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye
Lye
Lye is a corrosive alkaline substance, commonly sodium hydroxide or historically potassium hydroxide . Previously, lye was among the many different alkalis leached from hardwood ashes...
water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of crab roe
Roe
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
or diced carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
, although a green dot made with a pea may be used. The decorative presentations vary.
Hunan Chrysanthemum shaomai
Called the chrysanthemumChrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
shaomai, this variety is made in Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
(province neighbouring Guangdong). This shaomai is named so, due to its opening resembling the chrysanthemum flower petal shape with the egg-yolk. It is spicy with pepper and the wrapper is translucent. Filling largely consists of glutinous rice, pork hash
Hash
Hash may refer to:* Hash symbol, the glyph #* Hash mark , one of various symbols* Hash , a coarse mixture of ingredients* Hash chain, a method of producing many one-time keys from a single key or password...
, shrimp, Chinese mushroom
Chinese mushroom
Chinese mushrooms are edible mushrooms used in Chinese cuisine.They include:*Auricularia auricula-judae*Agrocybe aegerita, Agrocybe cylindracea *Cloud ear fungus*Dacryopinax spathularia*Gloeostereum incarnatum...
(otherwise known as shiitake) bamboo shoots and onion.
Jiangnan shaomai
Shaomai prepared in the JiangnanJiangnan
Jiangnan or Jiang Nan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta...
region (south of the Yangtze River, stretching from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
) are quite different. The wrapper is larger and tougher than the Cantonese version. Filling is similar to zongzi
Zongzi
Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
, containing soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, Chinese rice wine
Rice wine
Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. Unlike wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet grapes and other fruit, rice "wine" results from the fermentation of rice starch converted to sugars...
e.g. Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing wine
Shaoxing wine is one of the most famous varieties of huangjiu, or traditional Chinese wines, fermented from rice. It originates from the region of Shaoxing, in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. It is both drunk as a beverage as well as widely used in Chinese cuisine...
, marinated pork pieces in glutinous rice and steamed with pork fat. It is larger in size than the Cantonese version.
Uyghur shaomai
The UyghursUyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
of Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
province (norther-western China) adapted the shaomai to two regional varieties.The southern Xinjiang recipes differs slightly from the northern version in terms of ingredients and method. The filling of the northern version consists of mutton or beef, along with green onion
Green onion
Green onion may refer to:*Scallion, various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully developed bulb*"Green Onions", a hit 1962 soul instrumental by Booker T...
and radish, whereas the southern filling primarily uses glutinous rice
Glutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
with smaller amounts of mutton or beef. Minced meat from sheep ribs containing some fat is ideal.
Jiangxi Yifeng shaomai
Called the Yifeng shaomai in the south-eastern JiangxiJiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
province, its distinct flavour comes from a blend of pork mince, bread flour, sesame seed powder, ground pepper and sugar.It is particularly popular in the area of Yifeng Tanshan Tianbao where it is one of the foods eaten during the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
celebration.
Shanghai shaomai
Shanghai shaomai uses glutinous riceGlutinous rice
Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
, pork mince, Chinese mushroom
Chinese mushroom
Chinese mushrooms are edible mushrooms used in Chinese cuisine.They include:*Auricularia auricula-judae*Agrocybe aegerita, Agrocybe cylindracea *Cloud ear fungus*Dacryopinax spathularia*Gloeostereum incarnatum...
(otherwise known as shiitake) and onion.The mince, Chinese mushrooms and onion are stir-fried before being made into shaomai which may then also be steamed.
Japanese shuumai
Shuumai in JapanJapanese Chinese cuisine
Japanese Chinese cuisine is a unique style of Chinese cuisine served by Chinese restaurants in Japan. Many of these restaurants are Japanese-owned, though there are some which are operated by overseas Chinese...
have pork as the main ingredient and neither shrimp nor beef is used in the dough. Compared to the Chinese Shaomai which is minced, the meat in Japanese Shaomai is ground to a paste.
Indonesian siomay
SiomaySiomay
Siomay , is an Indonesian steamed fish dumpling with vegetables served in peanut sauce. It is derived from Chinese Shumai. It is considered a light meal that is similar to the Chinese Dim Sum, but is cone shaped. It is traditionally made from tenggiri fish meat...
or siomai (sometimes called somay) in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
is pronounced the same way as its sisters and is usually a wonton wrapper, stuffed with filling and steamed. It is served also with steamed potatoes, tofu, hard boiled eggs, and is topped with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
) and peanut sauce
Peanut sauce
Peanut sauce, satay sauce, bumbu kacang, or sambal kacang is a sauce widely used in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Africa. It is also used, to a lesser extent, in European and Middle Eastern cuisine.-Ingredients:The main ingredient is ground roasted peanuts, for...
. Because the population of Indonesia is largely Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, pork siomay is rare and is usually made from various fish, most commonly wahoo
Wahoo
The wahoo is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish...
or horse mackerel
Horse mackerel
A horse mackerel is a large fish, such as the tuna, and the scad or saurel of the Pacific coast:*Australian bonito *various Jack mackerels*Pilot fish...
. This variant is less common in Western countries.
Philippine siomai
Siomai (CebuanoCebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
/Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
: siyomay) in the Philippines is often ground pork, beef, shrimp, among others, combined with extenders like green peas, carrots and the like which is then wrapped in wonton wrappers. It is either steamed or fried resulting in a crispy exterior. It is normally dipped in soy sauce and squeezed calamondin
Calamondin
× Citrofortunella microcarpa, the Calamondin or Calamansi, is a fruit tree in the family Rutaceae, commonly called the calamondin, golden lime, panama orange, chinese orange, acid orange, calamonding, or calamandarin in English. It is believed to originate from China and has spread throughout...
, and for some, with an oily, spicy garlic mix.
A recent variant on siomai is wrapped in nori
Nori
is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking...
sheets instead of wonton
Wonton
Not to be confused with WantonA wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisines.-Filling:...
wrappers, and marketed as "Japanese."
Serving
In Huhhot, Shaomai is served in local restaurants. Such restaurants also feature dishes made of lamb as well as beef. A spicy lamb bowel soup is served as well, which is also a regional specialty.Within the dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
tradition of southern China, shaomai is one of the most standard dishes. It is generally served alongside har gow, another variety of steamed dumpling containing shrimp, cooked pork fat, bamboo shoots and scallions; collectively these are known as hargow-sieu mai (蝦餃燒賣). Chinese dishes are traditionally eaten using chopsticks
Chopsticks
Chopsticks are small, often tapered, sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of China and its diaspora, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Northern provinces of Laos, Thailand and Burma. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some...
.
In food stalls in Indonesia, siomai (or "siomay" in local dialect) are eaten together with steamed vegetables and tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
, and served with spicy peanut sauce
Peanut sauce
Peanut sauce, satay sauce, bumbu kacang, or sambal kacang is a sauce widely used in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Africa. It is also used, to a lesser extent, in European and Middle Eastern cuisine.-Ingredients:The main ingredient is ground roasted peanuts, for...
.
In Philippine food stalls and fast food restaurants, siomai is eaten as is, with dip, toothpicks to facilitating handling, or with rice (using a spoon and fork).