Shumai
type of traditional Chinese dumpling
Shumai (simplified Chinese: 烧卖; traditional Chinese: 燒賣; pinyin: shāomài; Cantonese Yale: sīu-máai; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sio-māi; Wugniu: sau1 ma6) is a type of traditional Chinese dumpling meat made of ground pork. In Cantonese cuisine, it is usually served as a dim sum snack, and is served with an additional serving of soy sauce. In addition to accompanying the Chinese diaspora, variations of shumai can be found in Japan, Southeast Asia, and South America. Variations include the Hawaiian pork hash and the Indonesian siomay. In Australia, it developed into dim sim.
Popular Chinese varieties
Cantonese siumaai
This is the most well-known variety outside of Asia and is from the southern provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi. As prepared in Cantonese cuisine, siumaai is also referred to as "pork and mushroom dumpling". Its standard filling consists primarily of ground pork, small whole or chopped shrimp, Chinese black mushroom, green onion (also called scallion) and ginger with seasonings of Chinese rice wine (e.g. Shaoxing rice wine), soy sauce, sesame oil and chicken stock. Bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and pepper can also be added.
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