What soup-filled dumpling is often served in dim sum restaurants?

Xiaolongbao is the soup-filled dumpling often served in dim sum restaurants.

The name means “little-basket bun,” referring to the small bamboo basket traditionally used for steaming it. Unlike ordinary dumplings, xiaolongbao contain broth inside the wrapper. Cooks usually create that liquid by mixing meat filling with gelatin-rich aspic; steaming melts the aspic into soup.

The dish is associated with Jiangnan cuisine and is especially famous in Changzhou, Jiangsu, and Nanxiang near Shanghai. Different regions make different versions: Changzhou styles may be larger and sweeter, while Shanghai-style xiaolongbao are commonly filled with pork and have thin, delicate skins.

Xiaolongbao are often called soup dumplings in English, but that phrase can also describe related Chinese dishes such as tangbao. They are also commonly confused with jiaozi, which are ordinary filled dumplings, and with siu mai, an open-topped steamed dumpling that does not normally contain broth. Diners usually bite a small opening first, let the hot soup escape, and then eat the bun with vinegar and ginger.