Xiaolongbao

Xiaolongbao (小笼包) are small steamed buns, originally from the Jiangnian region in China, especially connected to Shanghai and Wuxi. Traditionally they are filled with pork, but this can be mixed with other things, like crab meat and roe (eggs). Modern versions of these buns are often contain other meats, seafood or vegetarian fillings.

Xiaolongbao

Steamed xiaolongbao served in a traditional steaming basket
Alternative names	Xiaolong bao, xiao long bao, soup dumplings, xiaolong mantou, XLB
Course	Dim sum, xiaochi
Place of origin	China
Region or state	Jiangnan (Shanghai, Wuxi)
Main ingredients	Leavened or unleavened dough, minced pork (or other meats), aspic
Cookbook: Xiaolongbao   Media: Xiaolongbao

xiaolongbao
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	小笼包
Traditional Chinese	小籠包
Literal meaning	little-basket bun
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xiǎolóngbāo Bopomofo ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄅㄠ Gwoyeu Romatzyh sheaulongbau Wade–Giles hsiao-lung-pao IPA /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹lʊŋ³⁵pɑʊ̯⁵⁵/ Wu Shanghainese Romanization sioh³³-lon⁴⁴-bo Yue: Cantonese Jyutping siu²-lung⁴-baau¹ Southern Min Hokkien POJ siò-làng-pau
xiaolong mantou
Simplified Chinese	小笼馒头
Traditional Chinese	小籠饅頭
Literal meaning	little-basket steamed bun "little-basket steamed head"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xiǎolóng mántou Wade–Giles hsiao-lung man-t‘ou Wu Shanghainese Romanization sioh³³-lon⁴⁴ meu²²-doe⁴⁴ IPA: /siɔ³³lǫ̃⁴⁴-mø²²dɤ⁺⁴⁴/
Japanese name
Kanji	小籠包
Kana	ショウロンポウ
Hiragana	しょうろんぽう
Transcriptions Romanization shōronpō

The buns are wrapped in a dough, which sometimes gets bigger by rising (called a leavened dough), or they're wrapped in a dough which doesn't do this (called an unleavened dough). The buns are then steamed over boiling water to cook them.

It is possible to buy deep frozen Xiaolongbao worldwide, normally in special shops or supermarkets which sell ingredients for Chinese cooking.