Sugar and Broth: Savoring Wuxi’s Sweet Xiaolongbao

At Sanyang Plaza Station (三阳广场站, Sānyáng guǎngchǎng zhàn) on Metro Line 1, the evening rush is loud, but if you exit toward the old commercial streets, the noise changes. It becomes the soft hiss of steam escaping from large bamboo baskets stacked high over gas burners. This is where Wuxi’s sweet soup dumplings, or Xiaolongbao (小笼包, xiǎolóngbāo), are born.

While Shanghai’s soup dumplings are famous worldwide for their delicate skin and savory, clear broth, Wuxi’s version is a different beast. First, they are larger—plump, heavy cushions that sag under the weight of their contents. Second, and most importantly, they are unapologetically sweet. The broth inside is a rich, dark amber color, heavily sweetened with sugar and colored with dark soy sauce.

The magic of a soup dumpling lies in the pork skin gelatin. Cooks simmer pork skin until the collagen melts into a rich liquid. In Wuxi, they mix this broth with a heavy hand of sugar and soy sauce, then let it cool until it solidifies into a firm jelly. This jelly is chopped and folded directly into the minced pork filling. When the dumpling is steamed, the heat melts the jelly back into a hot, sweet soup, trapped inside the thin wheat wrapper.

Eating a Wuxi xiaolongbao requires a careful, physical technique. If you lift the dumpling carelessly, the thin dough will tear, and your sweet soup will escape onto the plate. You must slide your chopsticks under the thick top knot, lift it gently, and cradle it in a wide flat-bottomed spoon.

Once secure, take a small, cautious bite of the dough near the top to create a chimney. Blow gently into the opening to cool the broth inside. Then, press your lips to the hole and sip. The soup rushes out: hot, rich, and intensely sweet. The sweetness is immediate, followed by the deep, savory hit of the pork fat and the salty undertone of the soy sauce. Only after you have drained the soup do you dip the rest of the dumpling into a small dish of ginger-infused rice vinegar. The sharp acid of the vinegar cuts through the sugary grease of the pork meat, balancing the flavors before you chew the tender filling.

Locals debate where to find the best dumpling. Some prefer Wangxingji (王兴记, Wángxīngjì), a historic brand that has been serving them since the late Qing Dynasty. Others swear by the busier, less formal stalls around the Chaoyang (朝阳, Cháoyáng) neighborhood, where the wrappers are slightly thicker but the soup is even sweeter. In either place, you will sit on wooden benches, surrounded by steam and the sound of slurping.

Practical Beats

• Average Cost: A basket of four to six dumplings costs between 15 and 30 RMB.
• Where to Go:
  • Wangxingji (王兴记, Wángxīngjì): Located near the center of town. Take Metro Line 1 to Sanyang Plaza Station (三阳广场站, Sānyáng guǎngchǎng zhàn) and walk a few minutes.
  • Chaoyang (朝阳, Cháoyáng): Explore the busy food stalls around the Chaoyang Market area for a grittier, local atmosphere.
• How to Eat: Never pop a whole dumpling into your mouth at once; the hot soup will scald you. Use the bite-sip-dip-eat method, and always use vinegar to cut the sweetness.