Chicken-broth soup dumplings are one of Nanjing’s most iconic local delicacies, and together with duck’s blood vermicelli soup, they are known as the ‘Two Masterpieces of Jinling Breakfast’.
Their essence lies in the addition of chicken gelatine—made from a long-reared hen—to the filling; once steamed, the gelatine melts into a savoury broth, and with just a small bite, one can savour a mouthful of rich chicken flavour. Nanjing chicken-broth dumplings differ markedly from Shanghai or Wuxi xiaolongbao—the wrappers are thinner, the filling is more flavourful, the broth is more abundant, and the taste leans towards a savoury-sweet profile. The dough is prepared using a semi-fermented method, resulting in a texture that is chewy yet not too firm; once steamed, it becomes translucent, through which the wobbling broth inside can faintly be seen. Nanjing soup dumplings also have another distinctive feature: the seam faces downwards (commonly known as ‘upside down’), a technique designed to seal in the broth and prevent it from escaping during steaming.
There is a classic saying for eating chicken-broth soup dumplings: ‘Lift gently, move slowly; make a small opening first, then sip the broth’. First, carefully pick up the soup dumpling with chopsticks, bite a small hole in it, sip the delicious broth, then dip the skin and meat filling in vinegar before eating. The entire process requires great care to avoid burning your mouth. The most classic pairing is a steamer basket of soup dumplings served with a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup or egg drop soup; this is the most authentic way for old Nanjingers to enjoy breakfast or afternoon tea. As an iconic symbol of Nanjing’s culinary culture, it forms a unique branch within the landscape of Chinese soup dumplings alongside those from other cities, combining the hearty substance of northern noodle dishes with the refinement of southern dim sum.
