Xiaolongbao
/ɕjɑʊ̯˧˥ lʊŋ˧ pɑʊ̯˥/noun
A delicate Chinese steamed dumpling traditionally filled with pork and hot soup.
Did you know?The defining soup inside xiaolongbao is created by adding gelatin-rich aspic to the filling, which melts into broth during steaming—a culinary form of controlled transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
小
“small or little”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
籠
“a basket, cage, or steamer”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
包
“a bundle, wrapping, or something enclosed”
19th Century
Wu Chinese
小籠包
“a small bun prepared in a basket steamer; the term is associated especially with the Jiangnan and Shanghai culinary tradition”
20th Century
Mandarin
xiǎolóngbāo
“a small steamed bun, especially one containing soup”
Modern English
English
xiaolongbao
“a Chinese soup-filled steamed dumpling or bun”