Governor's Shaomai

Governor's Shaomai

　　Governor's Shaomai is a famous specialty snack in Kunming. Why are Yiliang Shaomai given the name "Governor"? There’s an interesting story behind it. Legend has it that during the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty, there was a restaurant called Zhu’s Yingxing Garden in Yiliang City, which specialized in boiled dishes, shaomai, and marinated foods, with shaomai being particularly renowned. Due to the large number of customers, purchases were limited to just three per person. One day, Tang Jiyao, the Military Governor of Yunnan, visited the shop eager to try the shaomai, but was also only sold three. When he asked for more, the Zhu family said, “Even if you are the Governor, we can only sell you three.” Later, the Zhu family found out that he was indeed the real Governor. This incident became a widely told tale, and the “Governor’s Shaomai” got its name from it. The Zhu family’s shaomai truly deserve to be called the “Governor” among shaomai—adding salt doesn’t suit them, dipping in vinegar doesn’t make them sour, they’re rich in meat yet not greasy, and the filling is juicy. The magic lies precisely in this balance.

　　Ingredients:

　　Main ingredient: 2 kilograms of flour. Secondary ingredients: 320 grams of fresh pork, 600 grams of cooked lard, 120 grams of cooked pork skin, 5 eggs, 60 grams each of blanched shredded bamboo shoots and diced ham, 20 grams of dried mushrooms, 160 grams of dry starch.

　　Seasonings: 20 grams of fine salt, 4 grams each of monosodium glutamate, pepper, and white sugar, 80 grams of lard, 30 grams of chopped scallions, 150 grams of Shanxi vinegar, 50 grams each of chili oil and chopped cilantro, 10 grams of sesame oil, 100 milliliters of broth.

　　Preparation method:

　　(1) Mix the flour with eggs and broth, knead into a dough, divide into dough pieces (each weighing 32 grams), dust with starch, and roll out into shaomai wrappers. Blanch the shredded bamboo shoots until cooked and chop finely. Finely slice the dried mushrooms.

　　(2) Mince the fresh pork, dice the cooked pork and pork skin, mix the three together, then add the shredded bamboo shoot, diced ham, mushroom slices, scallions, salt, MSG, pepper, and lard, and mix well to form the filling.

　　(3) Wrap the filling with the dough wrappers, shape into long pomegranate-flower forms, steam until cooked, and arrange on a plate. Serve with a dipping sauce made of vinegar, white sugar, chili oil, sesame oil, and chopped cilantro. Dip the shaomai into the sauce to eat.