Know Your Dumplings: 10 Types of Chinese Dumplings

Maybe the most famous export to come out of Shanghai, xiao long bao have become a dumpling staple in Australia. Made with a thin wrapper and pork with a soup that turns solid at room temperature, when heat is applied during the steaming process the soup turns to liquid and adds amazing flavour to the dumpling.

The traditional way to eat these soup dumplings is to add some vinegar and ginger matchsticks to your soup spoon, plop your dumpling on top, poke a hole in the wrapper and slurp up the hot broth, then chase it with the rest of the dumpling.

Learn how to make these soup dumplings at home with our Chinese Xiao Long Bao recipe!

It's debatable whether bao should be on our list of dumplings, but it's essentially the same deal—a delicious filling wrapped in dough and cooked to perfection. And who doesn't love a soft, fluffy steam bun filled with some juicy pork and vegetables? Bao come in all shapes and sizes, with a whole range of fillings, including the standard pork and veggie combo, or chicken, char siu, as well as sweet fillings, like custard, red bean or taro. 

Check out our Chinese recipe for Steamed Pork Buns!

The oldest and most familiar form of dumpling, jiao zi come steamed, boiled and fried and are filled with everything from minced beef and pork, to chicken, seafood and vegetable. These dumplings are also especially tied to Lunar New Year celebrations.

If you’re the one person left who hasn’t tried them, head down to your local dumpling house and try them with a mix of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil.

Check out our Chinese recipe for Jiao Zi to find out how to make these at home.

The prawn dumplings you see on every yum cha trolley ever. Wrapped in a crystal skin that always breaks when you eat it, har gow are one of the measuring sticks used to judge a dumpling chef. So next time you’re at yum cha, pay attention to how good the prawn dumplings are!

Make your very own at home from scratch with our traditional Chinese recipe for Har Gow.

Another yum cha regular, the only thing no one can agree on with siu mai is how to spell its name. It’s known as shaomai, shui mai, shu mai, sui mai, shui mei, siu mai, shao mai, siew mai, siomay and probably other combinations too weird to make the cut. They’re typically filled with pork and prawn, and wrapped with the filling exposed and served with a garnish of orange roe. Unlike most other dumplings, the wrapper is made from a thin lye water dough.

Cook up some Siu Mai with our easy Chinese recipe!

You've probably seen this fried glutinous rice dumpling a few times on the yum cha trolley, but might not have dared to give it a go. It's essentially a really flavoursome pork mixture (kind of like the filling in a meat pie in terms of texture) wrapped in a chewy glutinous rice pastry and deep fried. You know anything deep-fried is bound to taste incredible.

Curious? Check out this Chinese recipe for Ham Sui Gok.

Maybe the most recognisable dumpling to Westerners, wontons are a part of many different regional Chinese cuisines each with its own unique take. In Shanghai, expect to find minced pork and bok choy wontons served in soup, while in the Sichuan province they are folded into triangles and served with sesame paste and chilli oil. You’ll also find them fried on yum cha trolleys and filled with prawns.

Learn how to make classic Pork and Prawn Wontons with our Chinese recipe.

One for all the dumpling lovers out there with a sweet tooth. The wrapper is made with glutinous rice flour and water, then made into a ball and usually stuffed with a chocolate or red bean paste filling. The dumpling is typically boiled, but you can also steam them—they just get a bit sticky. are often seen around Lunar New Year, particularly the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth and final day of New Year festivities), as it’s thought eating them brings good luck.

Try making your own with this Tang Yuan Chinese dessert recipe.

Another Shanghai dumpling specialty, Sheng Jian Bao are essentially a pan-fried friend of the xiao long bao. Typically eaten for breakfast, Sheng Jian Bao are filled with a combination of pork, prawn or cabbage and—of course—soup!

Try sucking the soup out first so the dumpling doesn’t explode in your mouth. Best breakfast ever!

Check out this Chinese recipe to make Sheng Jian Bao at home.

Another ambiguous "dumpling" of sorts, but we're going to roll with it! These little rice dumpling parcels are made of sticky glutinous rice filled with any combination of meats, dried fruits, nuts, mushrooms or beans. They're wrapped into a pyramid shape with bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled. You should definitely try this one out!

Give this authentic Chinese recipe for Rice Dumplings a go.