Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings)
The dumpling that doubles as an engineering marvel. Each xiaolongbao is a paper-thin wrapper pleated with exactly 18 folds, encasing a molten heart of rich, savoury soup and seasoned pork. Bite, slurp, savour — it's a three-act performance in every piece.
The secret is in the filling: gelatinised pork broth is mixed with the meat, and when steamed, it melts into a burst of hot, flavourful soup trapped inside the delicate skin. At Din Tai Fung, each dumpling weighs precisely 21 grams — 16 grams of filling and 5 grams of dough — a ratio so exact it borders on obsessive. The result is a dumpling so perfectly balanced that it earned them Michelin recognition starting in 2009.
Pick one up gently with chopsticks, place it on your spoon, nibble a small hole in the side, and sip the soup before devouring the rest. Rush this ritual and you'll burn your tongue. Respect it and you'll experience one of the most sublime bites in all of Asian cuisine.
Flavor Profile
Origin
Taipei, Taiwan
Din Tai Fung was founded in 1958 as a humble cooking oil shop in Taipei by Bing-Yi Yang, an immigrant from Shanxi province. By 1972, the oil business was struggling, and a Shanghainese restaurant owner named Tang Yongchang suggested Yang pivot to making xiaolongbao. Yang combined the names of his previous employer 'Heng Tai Fung' and his oil supplier 'DinMei Oils' to create 'Din Tai Fung.' What started as a survival move became a global empire — today Din Tai Fung has locations worldwide and is synonymous with soup dumpling perfection.
Variations
Truffle Xiaolongbao
The luxury upgrade — classic pork soup dumplings infused with shaved black truffle, adding an earthy, intoxicating aroma to every bite.
Crab Roe Xiaolongbao
A seasonal delicacy filled with hairy crab roe and pork, turning each dumpling into a golden-hued, richly flavoured treasure.
Chocolate Xiaolongbao
Din Tai Fung's playful dessert version — molten chocolate encased in dumpling dough, a sweet twist on the savoury original.
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