Dumpling · Pan-fried

Sheng Jian Bao (Pan-Fried Soup Dumplings)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Unlike its steamed cousin xiaolongbao, this dumpling is deliberately griddle-fried on the bottom — so one bite gives you a crisp crust, a soft bun, and a mouthful of hot broth.

Small pork dumplings with a pleated top and a gelled-broth filling that liquefies as it cooks are arranged in a wide flat pan, fried until the bottoms turn golden, then steamed under a lid to finish.

Why it's made this way: The pan-frying technique developed among Shanghai's breakfast vendors to give a portable bun more textural contrast than a purely steamed dumpling.