At the table
Undo the tie and unfold the lotus leaf on your plate; eat the rice and filling, leaving the leaf and tie. Let the hot center cool a little. These small savory parcels suit breakfast or a shared selection of Wuhu snacks.
Normally contains pork or ham and is not vegetarian or vegan; some fillings also use lard. Shrimp may be included. Wheat can occur in the inner wrapper or soy sauce, and soy in the seasoning, so a leaf wrapper is not a gluten-free guarantee. Check the actual filling and sauce for allergies. Remove the leaf and tie before eating; the center can be very hot.
Fillings range from pork and shiitake mushroom to ham, mushroom and shrimp. Bamboo shoots, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and starch vary with the recipe; lard is used in some fillings. An inner wheat wrapper is present in some versions and absent in others.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Fillings range from pork and shiitake mushroom to ham, mushroom and shrimp. Bamboo shoots, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and starch vary with the recipe; lard is used in some fillings. An inner wheat wrapper is present in some versions and absent in others.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory rice with a gentle lotus-leaf fragrance and mushroom richness. Pork or ham adds depth; shrimp gives some versions a seafood note. Chili heat is not a defining feature.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Moist, sticky rice with distinct grains and small pieces of filling. Versions with an inner wheat wrapper have an extra soft layer beneath the leaf.
- How it’s made
- Soak and steam glutinous rice, combine it with cooked, seasoned filling, enclose in lotus leaf and steam. Some recipes first wrap the filling in a thin wheat skin; others use the leaf directly. A narrow leaf strip can tie the parcel closed.
Fillings range from pork and shiitake mushroom to ham, mushroom and shrimp. Bamboo shoots, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and starch vary with the recipe; lard is used in some fillings. An inner wheat wrapper is present in some versions and absent in others.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Anhui.
About this regional connection
Anhui: Wuhu savory lotus-leaf rice shaomai associated with Sijichun.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有荷香烧麦吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A fragrant Wuhu parcel
Closely associated with Wuhu’s Sijichun food tradition, this shaomai uses a gathered lotus leaf to surround savory sticky rice. Opening the small parcel releases its leafy aroma. The wrapping gives it a different presentation from an exposed, open-topped shaomai.