Har gow is the steamed shrimp dumpling that sits at the centre of a Cantonese dim sum table: whole shrimp folded inside a skin so thin and translucent that the pink of the filling glows through. Its story is usually traced to the outskirts of Guangzhou in the early 1900s, and to this day many diners judge a dim sum kitchen by its har gow before anything else.
What is har gow?
The name is simple. Har (蝦) means shrimp and gow (餃) means dumpling; in Cantonese it is pronounced roughly hā gáau, in Mandarin xiā jiǎo. What arrives at the table is usually three or four dumplings in a small bamboo steamer, each shaped like a plump crescent with a fan of pleats along one side.
Bite into one and three textures arrive in order: a skin that is soft and faintly elastic, then shrimp with a firm, almost springy snap, then a little juice from the filling. The flavour is clean and sweet, seasoned lightly enough that the shrimp does the talking. Many guests eat it plain; a dab of chili oil or soy is a matter of taste, not a requirement.
Where did har gow come from?
The most widely repeated account places the first har gow in a village on the edge of Guangzhou, near the riverside area that is now part of Haizhu District, sometime in the early twentieth century. The story goes that local teahouses, with good river shrimp close at hand, began folding them into a thin starch wrapper, and the idea spread to the city's larger tea houses within a generation.
Like many food origin stories, the details vary with the teller, and no single founding date is settled. What is clear is that by the middle of the century har gow had become a standard of Guangzhou and Hong Kong yum cha, and it travelled with Cantonese emigrants to Vancouver, San Francisco, London and Sydney. Today it is often listed with siu mai, char siu bao and egg tarts as one of the "four heavenly kings" of dim sum, the dishes almost every table orders.
The wrapper: why it is so hard to make
The skin is what separates a good har gow from an ordinary one. It is made from wheat starch, which is wheat flour with the gluten washed away, usually with a little tapioca starch for stretch. Boiling water is worked into the starch to cook it partially, then a touch of fat is kneaded in.
The result is a dough with no gluten to forgive mistakes. It tears if rolled too thin, turns gummy if too thick, and dries out within minutes. Cooks traditionally press each round flat with the side of a cleaver rather than a rolling pin, then pleat it by hand around the filling. A well-made skin should be:
- thin enough to show the shrimp clearly
- strong enough to hold its shape when lifted with chopsticks
- tender and slightly chewy, never doughy or sticky
The pleats are partly practical and partly a signature. A row of a dozen or so even folds is often cited as the mark of a practised hand, though the precise number is folklore rather than rule.
How to eat har gow
Har gow is best eaten within a few minutes of leaving the steamer, while the skin is still supple. Lift it gently by the top edge with chopsticks rather than squeezing it in the middle, where the skin is thinnest. It can be eaten in one or two bites; if you bite it in half, tilt it slightly so the juice stays in.
At a yum cha table, har gow is usually among the first baskets ordered, alongside siu mai, because both are light and set a fresh tone before heavier dishes like spareribs or sticky rice. Hot tea between bites keeps the palate clear. If you are new to the ritual, our yum cha guide covers the basics, from ordering to tapping the table in thanks when someone refills your cup.
Har gow at Neptune Palace
On our menu it appears as Neptune Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow), item 103 in the steamed section, and it is served at both our Vancouver location at Marine Gateway and our Burnaby location at The Amazing Brentwood. Like the rest of our dim sum, it is made in house and steamed to order.
If you are building a first table, pair it with the flying fish roe siu mai (105) and a plate of rice rolls for a classic start, then add something richer from the steamed or baked sections. Dim sum is served daily from the morning until 3 pm; weekends are busiest, and reservations can be made by phone at either location.
Questions, answered
What is har gow made of?
Har gow is a shrimp filling, often with a little pork fat and bamboo shoot, wrapped in dough made from wheat starch and a small amount of tapioca starch. The starch dough steams translucent, which is why the dumpling is often called a crystal shrimp dumpling.
Why is the har gow wrapper see-through?
The dough uses wheat starch, which is flour with the gluten washed out, mixed with boiling water. Without gluten, the skin turns glassy and slightly chewy when steamed rather than opaque and bready.
How many pleats should a har gow have?
There is no fixed rule, but many Cantonese cooks consider a dozen or so fine pleats the mark of careful work. Even, tight pleats matter more than the exact count.
Does Neptune Palace serve har gow at both locations?
Yes. Neptune Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow, menu 103) are on the dim sum menu at both the Vancouver Marine Gateway and Burnaby Brentwood locations, served daily during dim sum hours.