 | To begin with, the humble shaomai or siewmai as some may call it is not entirely Chinese. Since the majority of Chinese folks do not eat meat often or for that matter were peasants who were ill placed to afford meat, the origin of this humble Dim Sum accompaniment can only come from the Mongolians, who were documented as having invented this dish. Goat meat was used instead of pork and as meat eaters, they would have had access to wild garlic, chives and onions. Wild garlic originated from Central Asia and can be found growing wild in Mongolia. Since its invention, the Chinese have adopted this humble snack within their own culinary interpretations. China is a big country and as such, different versions of it containing pork and vegetables are found all over. The Cantonese may have misappropriated it by including this dish within the Dim Sum staple and the diaspora of the Chinese people further spread its popularity to regions where this dish has become a favorite of sorts for snacking or as a meal on its own. |
Asian Varieties
The Indonesians, Pinoys and Malays have in some ways adopted this dish but with a variation of the recipe. The Indonesians for example make them with beef, and is considerably large by all accounts as some eat it as a meal. The meat, is often, processed instead of minced, hence its dynamic nature when chewed in the mouth. Starch is added as filler.
Chinese Shaomai is soft, pliant and very accommodating to the mouth. The texture is many folds. In Guandong province, there is even a variety that is made entirely from fish meat instead of pork. In Circle K outlet in both Macau and Hong Kong, the fish Shaomai has been quite a hit with the locals. Shaomai as served in high end YumCha restaurants will contain more than just pork. Shrimp meat is sometimes added to give it more texture and flavor.
The size of the Shaomai differs from place to place. Some make them small, where you can just pop it into your mouth in one go, others are much larger in size and would require the use of chop sticks for proper manipulation.
The Indonesians, Pinoys and Malays have in some ways adopted this dish but with a variation of the recipe. The Indonesians for example make them with beef, and is considerably large by all accounts as some eat it as a meal. The meat, is often, processed instead of minced, hence its dynamic nature when chewed in the mouth. Starch is added as filler.
Chinese Shaomai is soft, pliant and very accommodating to the mouth. The texture is many folds. In Guandong province, there is even a variety that is made entirely from fish meat instead of pork. In Circle K outlet in both Macau and Hong Kong, the fish Shaomai has been quite a hit with the locals. Shaomai as served in high end YumCha restaurants will contain more than just pork. Shrimp meat is sometimes added to give it more texture and flavor.
The size of the Shaomai differs from place to place. Some make them small, where you can just pop it into your mouth in one go, others are much larger in size and would require the use of chop sticks for proper manipulation.
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