Kaifeng Soup Dumplings (Guantang Bao)

Background

Guantangbao, commonly called tangbao (soup dumplings), originated in Bianjing (today's Kaifeng), the capital of the Northern Song. According to records, the signature "cave plum blossom buns" of Yulou, one of the 72 main restaurants of Bianjing at the time, were soup dumplings filled with lean pork from the hind leg, the soup coming from aspic mixed into the filling that melted into broth when heated; their shape was described as "like a lantern when lifted, like a chrysanthemum when set down". After the fall of the Northern Song, soup dumplings spread south to Jiangnan with the migration and evolved into later forms such as xiaolongbao and crab roe soup dumplings. In 1922 Huang Jishan founded the Diyilou bun restaurant in Kaifeng; in the 1930s it switched to wrappers of unleavened "dead dough" and changed from steaming in large baskets to small baskets served at the table in the basket, creating the way of eating known as "guantang xiaolong baozi". People's Daily reported that Kaifeng Diyilou's soup uses a "water filling", in which water is beaten into the raw minced meat until it is as thick as porridge; the buns are made, steamed and eaten on the spot, and when opened show three distinct layers of steam, soup and filling.

Local customs

• Soup dumplings come to the table in their steamer basket, and the rule is "open a window first, then drink the soup": gently lift one onto a spoon, bite a small opening and sip the soup first, then eat the wrapper and filling
• you can dip them in vinegar and add shredded ginger. People in Kaifeng also like them with a bowl of millet porridge or egg soup.

Religion & beliefs

• The traditional filling is mainly pork hind leg and is not halal
• Kaifeng also has halal soup-bun shops (beef and lamb fillings), so look for the sign if needed. Vegetarians can ask whether there are vegetable soup buns, but the soup usually comes from pork-skin aspic.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• You can get guantang bao at the bun shops and snack stalls around Kaifeng's Drum Tower and the night market, for breakfast, lunch or while browsing the night market in the evening. One steamer makes a snack
• two people sharing a steamer with soup or other snacks makes a meal. Dietary notes: pork and wheat
• the broth contains fat from pork-skin aspic
• the flavor is savory, not spicy. Combine with the Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, Kaifeng Prefecture Office and the Drum Tower Night Market. The Drum Tower Night Market is crowded at night, so keep an eye on your belongings. Soup dumplings are best eaten freshly steamed
• taking them away to eat later is not recommended. They go well with millet porridge. They are also available at the night market in the evening. Prices, opening hours and the day's availability are subject to each shop
• popular places often have queues at peak mealtimes, so going off-peak is more relaxed.