Wuxi-style steamed buns, or xiaolongbao, are a traditional delicacy and a must-try for visitors to Wuxi in east China's Jiangsu Province. The buns are crafted with flour and minced pork leg meat. The thin-yet-resilient wrapper and sweet and savory filling make these buns a beloved treat.
The making of the xiaolongbao requires skills and patience. The dough should be soft and smooth and divided into equal-sized pieces. Two rolling pins are used to roll the dough into wrappers.
The edges should be thinner than the central part, giving the wrappers their thin-yet-resilient features. Folding the wrappers puts the chefs to the test. While folding, the chef should continually use his or her thumb to push the filling into the wrapper in order to make more folds.
The top should be sealed completely so that the savory meat juice is wrapped inside. The dish is then completed after 10-15 minutes of steaming. After serving, you can dip the xiaolongbao into vinegar first to cool it off a bit and then take a tiny bite on the side to make a little hole.
Proceed to slurp the soup out of the bun and finish the whole thing off in one bite..
