Siu Mai (Pork Dumplings)

Siu Mai are the hearty counterpart to delicate har gow. Yellow wheat-flour wrappers are filled with a mixture of minced pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms, then topped with a dot of orange crab roe or carrot. They're steamed until the filling is juicy and bouncy. Unlike har gow, which showcases the wrapper, siu mai is about the filling — savory, slightly sweet, with a satisfying texture from the pork and shrimp.

📖 History

Siu mai originated in Guangdong teahouses alongside har gow. The name means 'cook and sell,' referring to the practice of cooking them fresh to order.