How to Eat Fried Dumplings

by Monica Liau
on Friday, March 05, 2010

Fried dumplings (生煎) are a must have in Shanghai. Actually not dumplings (饺◊") but little baozi, these bundles of happiness are crispy on the bottom, sprinkled with sesame seeds on top and hot as hell in the middle! Yes, fried dumplings are devious little devils that must be eaten with the utmost caution; not only are the steaming skins filled with yummy pork and ginger but they are also chock full of "soup." One wrong bite from the eager consumer will send scorching liquid screaming down your throat, squirting up your nose or ruining your new shirt before a big business meeting. Believe me, all have happened and worse.

However, from observing patrons, I have discovered the art to safe eating. First off, utilize your utensils. No matter how hungry you are, do not bite into a fresh baozi! Instead, carefully place it in the middle of your spoon, take a tiny nibble to make a hole in the top and blow through the aperture. Then, as loudly as possible, take a slurp of the juice inside. Suck until most of the liquid is gone. Afterwards, the rest of the baozi is yours for the taking! Dunk it in vinegar, douse it with chili oil, or just tear it down au natural.

Fried dumplings, as in all Chinese snacks, should only be bought if fresh. I only eat them when there is a bit of a crowd still left, generally around 1pm; right after the lunch crowd has died down but is not completely gone. They are usually sold by the liang (两) which gets you about four for RMB4.

Good choices include the Yang's Fried Dumpling chain, which has joints scattered throughout the city. There's one on DingXi Road, near the cross section of Yan'An West Road. Li's Fried Dumplings on ChangNing Road, near JiangSu Road, is also a good option. But keep your eyes peeled; there are opportunities for them in just about every nook of the city.