Shumai

Shumai(simplified Chinese:烧卖;traditional Chinese:燒賣;pinyin:shāomài;Cantonese Yale:sīu-máai;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:sio-māi) is a type of traditionalChinesedumplingmade ofground pork. InCantonese cuisine, it is usually served as adim sumsnack.In addition to accompanying theChinese diaspora, variations ofshumaiare found inJapanandSoutheast Asia, such as theIndonesiansiomay. InAustralia, it developed intodim sim.
This is the most well-known variety outside of Asia and is from the southern provinces ofGuangdongandGuangxi. As prepared inCantonese cuisine,siumaaiis also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling". Its standard filling consists primarily ofground pork, small whole or chopped shrimp,Chinese black mushroom,green onion(also called scallion) andgingerwith seasonings of Chineserice wine(e.g.Shaoxingrice wine),soy sauce,sesame oiland chicken stock.Bamboo shoots,water chestnutsand pepper can also be added. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet oflyewater dough, which is either yellow or white. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of crabroeor dicedcarrot, although a green dot made with a pea may be used. The decorative presentations vary.
A fish paste variety ofsiumaaiis sold as a popular street food inHong Kong, usually alongside curry fishballs. It is most often eaten with a sweet soy sauce and/or chili oil.
Pig Liver Shiu Mai (豬潤燒賣) is a variety of shiumai sold at traditional tea houses such asLuk Yu(陸羽茶室) andLin Heung Tea House(蓮香樓).
TheHong Kong Siumaipediawas written to document the Cantonese variety.
Hohhotshaomai is a regional variety in Hohhot,Inner Mongolia.
The wrapping is a very thin, round sheet of unleavened dough, with a pleated border.  There is only one kind of filling, which mainly consists of chopped or mincedmutton,scallionandginger. Hohhot shaomai features this extensive use of scallion and ginger, creating a dense combined scent, and a slightly 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. It is then cooked by steaming or pan-frying. Hohhot shaomai is served in the unit of"liang", which means either eight steamed ones served in a steamer tier, or eight fried ones served in a dish. "Liang" is equal to 50 grams, is traditionally used as an indication of the total weight of the wrapping. Hohhot shaomai is commonly served with vinegar and tea, due to its greasiness.
Called thechrysanthemumshaomai (菊花燒賣), this variety is made inChangsha(長沙),Hunanprovince (湖南). This shaomai is named for its opening resembling the chrysanthemum flower petal shape. It is spicy with pepper and the wrapper is translucent. The filling largely consists of glutinous rice, porkhash, shrimp,shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and onion.
Shaomaiprepared in theJiangnanregion (stretching fromShanghaitoNanjing) has a filling similar tozongzifrom the region, containing marinated pork pieces inglutinous rice,soy sauceandShaoxing wine, steamed with pork fat. It is larger than the Cantonese version.
The Shanghai variation also contains shiitake mushrooms and onion.The mince, mushrooms and onion arestir-friedbefore being prepared as the filling.
In northwest China, theUyghur peopleofXinjiangadapted shaomai into two regional varieties.The southern Xinjiang recipes differ slightly from the northern version in terms of ingredients and method. The filling of the northern version consists of mutton or beef, along withgreen onionand radish, whereas the southern filling primarily usesglutinous ricewith smaller amounts of mutton or beef. Minced meat from sheep ribs containing some fat is ideal.
Called theYifengshaomai in the southeasternJiangxiprovince, this version's 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 theChinese New Yearcelebration.
ShūmaiinJapanusually use pork and minced onion as the main ingredients and are often topped with a green pea. While the meat filling in Chinese shaomai is usually minced, the meat filling in Japanese shumai is ground to a paste.
Pork hash inHawaiiconsists primarily of ground pork, sometimes with minced shrimp added.Lyeis sometimes used to treat the pork to add abouncytexture. Ginger, Chinese rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper are common seasonings to thefarce. Water chestnuts and carrots are sometimes added. The outer covering is made of a thin yellow or white dough. Pork hash in Hawaii is fairly large, often the size of a large chicken egg. It is often served with soy sauce mixed with hot mustard.
Siomayorsiomai(sometimes called somay) inIndonesiais pronounced the same way as its sisters and is usually a wonton wrapper, stuffed with filling and steamed. It is also served with steamed potatoes, tofu, hard-boiled eggs, steamedbitter gourdand cabbages, all  sliced and topped withpeanut sauceandkecap manis(sweet soy sauce). Because the population of Indonesia is largelyMuslim, Indonesian siomay rarely uses pork. Instead, it is often made from various fish, most commonlywahooormackerel tuna, other variants that uses shrimp or chicken is also popular in Indonesia. This variant is less common in Western countries.
Siomai([ˈʃomaɪ];Filipino:siyomay) in thePhilippinesis often ground pork, beef, shrimp, and the like. It is combined with extenders like garlic, green peas, carrots and among others which is then wrapped in wonton wrappers. It is commonly steamed, with a popular variant being fried, resulting in a crisp exterior. It is normally dipped in soy sauce with the juice ofcalamansi, a Philippine lime, and a chili-garlic oil is sometimes added to the sauce.
A recent variant onsiomaiis wrapped in sheets oflaverafter thewontonwrappers, which are marketed as "Japanese".
Khanom jeebor written asKhanom chip(Thai:ขนมจีบ;pronounced[kʰā.nǒm.t͡ɕìːp]) is a Thai version of shumai. Khanom jeeb is a Thai term that means "pleated snack", is a staple at Chinese restaurants and dim sum carts. However, there is another type of khanom jeeb that is considered to be a traditional Thai khanom jeeb, which is different from Chinese khanom jeeb. Thai khamon jeeb is  mentioned inKap He Chom Khrueang Khao Wan, a royal poem work of KingRama IIfrom the earlyRattanakosin period, more than 200 years ago. Thai khanom jeebs are wrapped in white flour similar tohar gowand pleated to form a bird-like shape, hence they are also called "khanom jeeb nok" (ขนมจีบนก;pronounced[kʰā.nǒm.t͡ɕìːpnók]; lit "bird-shaped steamed dumplings) and they are not eaten with the sour soy sauce used for Chinese khanom jeebs. They are also eaten withlettuceandchili peppers, just likesakhu sai mu.
For Chinese khamom jeebs or shumei, in somesouthern provincessuch asPhuketorTrang, the dipping sauce is different from other regions, namely, it is a reddish-brown and sweet sauce. Eating khanom jeebs with this dipping sauce is part of eating dim sum and is a common breakfast culture of Trang locals.
Xíu mạiinVietnamhas minced pork, onion, scallion and shredded bread as the main ingredients and is cooked in tomato sauce. It is usually served in a roll ofbánh mìfor breakfast. Because the recipe omits dough wrappings, it is more akin to ameatballrather thanshumai.
As described by historical materials,shaomaiwas served in tea houses as a secondary product.The nameshaomai(捎賣;捎卖), means the product was "sold as a sideline", with tea. It is considered to have been brought toBeijingandTianjinby merchants fromShanxi, causing its later wide spread. The name was later transformed into modern forms like "燒麥;烧麦", "稍美" and "燒賣;烧卖", changing the characters while keeping the originalshaomaipronunciation. The product was initially in the form of meat and vegetables wrapped in thin sheets, and was sold weighing only the wrapper, a tradition which is still kept in Hohhot.In 2021, "the craft of making Shaomai at Lao Suiyuan" was awarded as a non-material cultural heritage project in Hohhot.
In Hohhot,shaomaiis commonly served as a staple food, especially for breakfast. It is considered a local specialty in regions around Huhhot. Steamedshaomaiare served in bamboo steamer tiers, and friedshaomaiare served in dishes.
Within thedim sumtradition of southern China,shaomaiis one of the most standard dishes.It is generally served alongsidehar gow, another variety of steamed dumpling containing shrimp, cooked pork fat, bamboo shoots and scallions; collectively these are known ashar gow-siu mai(蝦餃燒賣).
InGuangzhou,siu mai(燒賣) andhar gow(蝦餃), along withchar siu bao(叉燒包), andegg tarts(蛋撻), are considered the classic dishes of Cantonese dim sum cuisine. They are collectively referred to as the "Four Heavenly Kings" of the cuisine. (Chinese:四大天王;pinyin:sì dà tiān wáng;Cantonese Yale:sei daaih tīn wòhng).
In food stalls in Indonesia,siomai(or "siomay" in local dialect) are eaten together with steamed vegetables andtofu, and served with spicypeanut sauce.
In Philippine food stalls and fast food restaurants,siomaiis eaten with dip, toothpicks to facilitate handling, or with rice (using a spoon and fork).