Know These Popular Chinese Dumpling Types

Jiaozi are crescent-shaped wheat dough rolls with an opaque wrapper that are typically filled with minced pork, cabbage, and scallions and served with a soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil dipping sauce. 

Siu mai is a type of wheat dough dumpling with an open top and a circular, basket-like form. Traditionally, siu mai are steamed in a bamboo steamer basket and topped with an orange dot of fish roe or carrot (or occasionally a green dot made of a single pea).

Har gao is filled with shrimp, pig fat, and bamboo shoots and has a translucent wrapper composed of wheat and tapioca starch. The exterior of har gao wrappers is typically shaped with seven to ten pleats, and the mixture of starches used to make the wrapper itself is designed to give a smooth, soft, yet elastic consistency. 

Xiao long bao are spherical, purse-shaped dumplings that are sometimes referred to as "soup dumplings." They are composed of a wheat wrapper that is crimped on top and is quite thick (thicker and doughier than, say, jiaozi). 

A close relative of xian long bao is the sheng jian bao. The dough is a bit thicker than xiao long bao and is topped with sesame oil and finely chopped scallions. It is often made with the same filling of pork and seafood along with a jellified soup that liquefies when heated. 

The broad term "bao zi" refers to dumplings formed from a dense wheat dough that resembles a bun. The char siu bao, which are stuffed with grilled pork, are a typical variation of bao zi. 

A general type of Chinese dumplings is the wonton, which can be made in a variety of ways depending on the filling and whether it is boiled, steamed, or fried.