🍽️ Crab Roe Soup Bun

Thin skin full of crab broth, sip then eat.

Crab Roe Soup Bun is a crown jewel of Yangzhou's dim sum, famous for its paper-thin skin and brimming broth. A lightly leavened wrapper holds a filling of crab roe, crab meat and pork, wrapped around a jelly of aspic that melts into scalding soup once steamed. The ideal bun, locals say, hangs like a lantern when lifted and opens like a chrysanthemum when set down—thin yet resilient skin crammed with liquid. The proper way is to nip a hole at the top, sip the hot soup first, letting the crab and pork umami unfold, then eat the dumpling with ginger-vinegar dip. The broth is scalding, so never pop the whole thing in at once. It is a star of Yangzhou morning tea and Huaiyang banquets, at its finest in autumn when crabs are at their peak—a small encapsulation of refined Jiangnan snack culture.