Shaomai (also spelled shui mai, shu mai, sui mai, sui maai, shui mei, siu mai, shao mai, siew mai or siomai) is a traditional Chinese dumpling.

Varieties

There are two regional varieties of shaomai: a Cantonese version and a version from the Jiangnan region.

Cantonese shaomai

As prepared in Cantonese cuisine, shaomai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling." Its standard filling is a combination of ingredients, consisting primarily of seasoned ground pork, whole and chopped shrimp, and Chinese black mushroom in small bits. The outer covering is made of a thin sheet of lye water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of roe or diced carrot, although a green dot (made with a pea) may also be used. The decorative presentations vary from restaurant to restaurant.

Jiangnan shaomai

Shaomai prepared in the Jiangnan region (south of the Yangtze River, stretching from Shanghai to Nanjing) are quite different. The wrapper is larger and tougher than the Cantonese version. The filling is similar to Zongzi (Chinese-style tamales) with soy sauce/rice wine/sugar marinated pork pieces in glutenous rice and steamed with some lard. It is larger in size than the Cantonese version. However, most people in Western countries associate shaomai only with the Cantonese version due to the Cantonese diaspora. Recently, the Jiangnan version is starting to appear in areas with high-density new immigrants from mainland China, such the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.

Hon'gadan shaomai

Shaomai prepared with shrimp, beef and hard boiled egg filling. Similar to the Japanese gyoza it is initially prepard by frying in a small amount of oil, eventually finishing the cooking process by steaming. Flavoring for this dumpling include ginger, five spice, and star anise.

Serving

Within the dim sum tradition of southern China, shaomai is one of the most standard dishes. It is generally served alongside har gau, another variety of steamed dumpling.

In food stalls in Indonesia, shaomai (or "siomay" in local dialect) are eaten together with steamed vegetables and tofu, and served with spicy peanut sauce.

External links

• Shao Mai recipe at Roseskitchette