Soup? Inside a dumpling? You may think it impossible—nay, outrageous—to have a small serving of delicious soup delievered from the convenient shell of a dumpling inside a home kitchen, but the proof is right before your eyes! Questions abound, but one rises above the others: how do they get the soup in the dumpling? The answer is simple, bones! Surrounding the garden variety dumpling filling is a layer of aspic or a related gelatin. This melts when the dumpling gets steamed, forming from jello-like goo to a hearty soup. Try not to spill it all over the table!

The soup dumpling or “Xiaolongbao” (commonly abbreivated as “XLB”) can usually be found as standard fare in dim sum and specialty dumpling restaurants. I stood for minutes in shock, mouth agape, when I happened upon these frozen dumplings in my local Trader Joe’s Frozen Food Aisle. They’re a little on the smaller side (more like xiaoshortbao!) but they pack all the conventional ingredients. Their delicate skin presents a tricky challenge inside a home steamer, since they often slope inwards, leading the dumplings to come into contact with each other. It seems like no big deal from the outside, but picking up a stuck-on dumpling is a one-way ticket to a punctured dumpling skin! However, with extreme care a good experience can be had.