Har Gow: Crystal Shrimp Dumplings
Quick Info
- Flavor
- Clean, sweet, and oceanic. The pure flavor of fresh shrimp comes through with subtle sesame and white pepper notes.
- Texture
- Translucent, slightly chewy wrapper encasing plump, snappy whole shrimp with a satisfying bite
- Spice Level
- Not spicy
- Temperature
- Served Hot
Ingredients
Allergens
Confirmed
The story
Har gow is a dish at the dim sum table, and a chef’s mastery of this single dumpling is often used to judge an entire restaurant. The wrapper must be translucent (you should be able to see the pink shrimp through it) with exactly the right number of pleats (traditionally at least seven, ideally ten or more). It originated in a small teahouse near Guangzhou in the early twentieth century and quickly became the standard of Cantonese dim sum.
What to expect
A bamboo steamer opens to reveal three or four crescent-shaped dumplings with translucent, almost see-through wrappers. Each one is plump with whole shrimp that snap when you bite through them. The wrapper has a unique texture: slightly sticky and chewy, completely unlike any Western dumpling you have encountered. The flavor is all about the shrimp: sweet, clean, and fresh, with just a whisper of sesame oil.
Tips
Eat har gow immediately when they arrive (they become gummy and stick together as they cool). Pick them up gently with chopsticks (they are delicate) and eat in one or two bites. A small dip in soy sauce or Chinese red vinegar is optional. At a proper dim sum meal, ordering har gow is non-negotiable: it is the benchmark dish.