Around Asia in 12 Dumplings

China has an entire constellation of dumplings, from wontons to potstickers to har gow. One dumpling making a splash worldwide is the soup dumpling or xiaolongbao—which translates into "little basket bun." It used just to be one of the many options for dim sum, but now there are restaurants dedicated to this marvel in construction. Folded with about 14 pleats, it’s best eaten starting at the top, as the delicate skin bursts with pork and hot savory soup. The magic inside is aspic, which melts into liquid while the dumpling steams. Hungry? Luckily, you can find xiaolongbao all over China and Taiwan.

Best sampled at Taiwanese night markets, bawan is a popular street food, with skin made of potato starch and rice flour wrapped around a filling of pork, bamboo, and mushrooms. The resulting translucent, gelatinous outer layer gives the dumpling the QQ (chewy) texture that Taiwanese love, similar to the texture of boba, and goes great with a tangy-sweet ketchup-laced sauce.

This treat is said to have its origins in Tibet, and it’s believed that Tibetan immigrants brought it to Bhutan and other South Asian countries. Filled with meat and vegetables, these steamed dumplings often incorporate yak meat and cheese and are a beloved staple dish in Bhutanese cuisine. They’re usually served with a spicy chile dipping sauce, and families take pride in secret, generational momo recipes. Take a tour through Bhutan, and you’ll surely find time to sample plenty of momos along the way.

The Japanese adapted these fried dumplings from the well-known Chinese dumplings called guotie, jiaozi, or potstickers, and you can either learn to make them at home or sample them on basically any Japan food tour. The difference between the two version all comes down to the wrapping, with the crescent-shaped Japanese version favoring a more delicate and stretchy dough, a higher concentration of veggies to meat, and smaller, bite-sized scale. Like potstickers, they’re steamed and fried, but their thinner wrapper results in crispier skin.

These triangular packets of puffy fried dough—which you can learn to make at this cooking class in Jaipur—are most commonly filled with spiced potato, but vegetables, meat, shrimp, and even fruit or chocolate are also popular options. With a flaky skin, like pie dough, these bites are typically paired with a dipping sauce such as mint and cilantro, sweet tamarind chutney, or Maggi Hot & Sweet Tomato Chili.

Siomay is one of Indonesia’s most popular dishes. Originating from Chinese shumai, it’s a steamed dumpling of minced fish, shrimp, or another protein wrapped in wonton paper. The dumplings are served with a mishmash of steamed tofu, potatoes, vegetables, and boiled egg, and a generous dollop of sweet peanut sauce or soy sauce tops the dish. You can also try its cousin batagor, the fried version. Search for this traditional treat at the Ubud Night Market.

Korean mandu are also similar to Chinese potstickers, except the dumplings tend to be larger and thicker skinned. Often wrapped in wheat-flour dough, they can be deep-fried, boiled, steamed, or fried in a pan, and they’re a year-round favorite in Korea. However, eating them during the New Year celebrations is particularly auspicious, so if you find yourself in Seoul at that time of year, take a private tour with a local foodie and ask your guide about the best mandu in the city.

Insider tip: Fillings include anything from the standard pork and cabbage to seafood or even cheese and kimchi.

These glutinous rice dumplings are an iteration of the original zongzi from China. Nyonya are similarly molded into a triangle shape and wrapped in pandan leaves (instead of bamboo leaves) before steaming or boiling. This dumpling is easy to spot because some of the rice is dyed blue with butterfly pea flowers. The filling is also sweeter; the typical pork mixture adds candied winter melon and coriander seeds. Traditionally enjoyed during the Dragon Boat Festival in June, you can also find them throughout the year at places such as the street food stands of Kuala Lumpur.

Bánh nậm, which were originally food for royalty only, hail from the ancient imperial capital of Hue, Vietnam. Thin and flat, with a skin made of rice and tapioca flour, they’re typically filled with shrimp, pork, and green onions, wrapped in a banana leaf before steaming, and served with a side of fish sauce for dipping. The banana leaf packet also makes it an easily transportable food, great to save as a snack. Hue is one of the best places to try bánh nậm, but you can find it all over Vietnam at street food stands or fancy restaurants; in Da Nang, jump on the back of a motorbike with your guide for a food tour which features bánh nậm.

These doughy packets of delight are an adaptation of the Chinese baozi (steamed bun). Like baozi, the dough is thick and fluffy, and lightly sweet, but while Chinese char siu bao (barbecue pork buns) are filled with roasted pork, siopao features sweet stewed pork. Find it all over the Philippines at bakeries, as street food, or at Chinese restaurants.

A symbol of wealth resembling golden bags of money, toong tong are served in Thailand to celebrate festivals and other important events. Wrapped in spring roll pastry, the dumplings are often filled with minced pork or chicken and water chestnuts, and the “bag” is tied closed with a chive or green onion before deep frying. While it’s a special-occasion food, you can also find it at some night markets and restaurants in Thailand.

China has such a plethora of dumplings that a second one deserves a spot on the list, particularly this regional iteration from the Uyghurs, a Turkic people native to Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwest China. You can also find variations of the manta, the thick skin of which is made from wheat flour, in Turkey, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.

Insider tip: The chewy dough is typically handmade instead of store-bought, and common fillings include lamb, mutton, pumpkin, and onions.