Shark fin dumpling () is a dim sum dish in Hong Kong. It is a form of Dumpling in Superior Soup (), a dumpling with gelatinous broth inside. As with shark fin soup, the shark fin content is often replaced with an imitation.
History Dumpling in Superior Soup () originated from Ming dynasty in Yangzhou. In that time, pigskin was a preferred ingredient of brewis. As pigskin is composed of collagen which is a main component of connective tissue, brewis would be solidified after it was dissolved, forming a gel-like structure. It would then be integrated into bread for consumption. According to the Qing dynasty cookbook Suiyuan shidan this is the ancestral form of dumpling in superior soup.顛不棱即肉餃也，糊面推開，裹肉為餡蒸之。其討好處全在作餡得法，不過肉嫩去筋作料而已。餘到廣東，吃官鎮台顛不棱，甚佳，中用肉皮煨膏為餡，故覺軟美。, "what Dumpling in Soup is and how it is produced" - .
The use of shark fin as an ingredient of dumplings appeared in the 1980s, when the economy of Hong Kong was growing rapidly. Part of the Chinese restaurants would like to produce something luxury so as to emphasize the class difference or attract consumers. As time went on, actual shark fin was sometimes replaced by thin bean noodle.
Ingredients and preparation The standard ingredients include shrimp, crab sticks, shiitake and straw mushrooms. The dish is prepared with red agar for texture, and seasoned with salt, MSG, sugar, meal-cake, and ground white pepper.
See also Freshwater prawn farming Shark fin soup :zh:魚翅餃
References
Cookery Family-灌湯餃. 2005 (cited 2012 Nov 3) Private Cooking Art magazine. Page 96–97. Tam, S.M. 1997. Eating Metropolitaneity: Hong Kong, Identity in yumcha. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Retrieved November 19, 2012 Yuan, M. 隨園食單 (Suiyuan shidan). China Confucius Foundation. Retrieved November 18, 2012 Samuel. 2006, September, 15. DP&artsection=CAREER 有緣重遇 - 久違的灌湯餃. Jiujik. Retrieved November 3, 2012 灌湯餃 (Dumpling in soup). (N.D). Cookery Family. Retrieved November 3, 2012 Foodies’ Notes : 真正的灌湯入餃. 2012, April, 25. The Sun Online. Retrieved November 3, 2012