Siu Mai: The Open-Top Pork and Shrimp Dumpling

Siu mai is the open-topped dumpling of Cantonese dim sum: a juicy cylinder of chopped pork and shrimp gathered in a thin yellow wrapper, pinched at the waist and left uncovered on top, where a scatter of orange roe often sits like a crown. Dumplings called shaomai are made all over China, but this pork-and-shrimp style belongs to the tea houses of Guangdong and Hong Kong, and it is ordered at almost every yum cha table.

What is siu mai?

The name, 燒賣, is pronounced sīu máai in Cantonese and shāomài in Mandarin, which is why menus spell it so many ways: siu mai, siew mai, shumai, shu mai. They all describe the same family of dumpling.

A Cantonese siu mai is about the size of a large walnut. The wrapper is a thin sheet of wheat dough, often tinted yellow, gathered up the sides so it hugs the filling like a paper cup. Inside, the meat is chopped rather than minced fine, so each bite has texture: the bounce of shrimp, the tenderness of pork, a savoury note from mushroom. It is steamed in a bamboo basket, usually four to a serving.

Where did siu mai come from?

Most food historians point north. Dumplings with a similar name and open, gathered shape have long been made in northern China, and some accounts link early versions to the region around Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, where they were filled with mutton and served with tea. How and when the idea reached the south is not well documented, and the stories differ.

What is clear is that Cantonese cooks made it their own. By the early to mid twentieth century, the tea houses of Guangzhou and Hong Kong were serving a pork-and-shrimp siu mai, sometimes called gon jing siu mai (乾蒸燒賣, "dry-steamed siu mai") because it is steamed without sauce. It became a fixture alongside har gow, char siu bao and egg tarts, the group often called the four heavenly kings of dim sum.

What makes a good siu mai?

A well-made siu mai is judged by eye and by bite:

• Shape: upright and neat, with the wrapper hugging the filling and a flat, open top.
• Texture: springy and juicy, with distinct pieces of shrimp and pork, never a dense paste.
• Seasoning: savoury and balanced, with enough natural fat to keep it moist.
• Wrapper: thin and tender, just enough to hold everything together.

The garnish varies by kitchen. Crab roe was a traditional luxury; today flying fish roe, a dot of carrot or a single pea are all common. The roe adds a faint salinity and a pleasing pop.

How to eat siu mai

Siu mai is sturdy, so it is a good dumpling for anyone still learning chopsticks. Lift it from the side, and eat it in one or two bites. Many people add a touch of chili oil, hot mustard or soy; others prefer it plain, since a good one is already well seasoned.

At the table it usually arrives early with har gow, and the two make a natural pair: one delicate and translucent, the other meaty and golden. Ordering both is the most common way to begin a yum cha meal.

Siu mai at Neptune Palace

Our version is Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai with Flying Fish Roe, item 105 in the steamed section, and it carries the thumbs-up mark for a popular dish on our printed menu. It is served at both our Vancouver location at Marine Gateway and our Burnaby location at The Amazing Brentwood, made in house and steamed to order.

For a first visit, start with siu mai and Neptune Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow, 103), then add a basket of steamed BBQ pork buns (114) and finish with Freshly Baked Egg Tarts (907) to complete the classic four. Dim sum is served daily until 3 pm, and weekend tables can be reserved by phone.

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