National Intangible Cultural Heritage

烧麦 The Shaomai

01 二十四褶 Twenty-four pleats, gathered at the crown

02 石榴嘴 Open on top — the "pomegranate mouth"

03 荷叶边 A lace-thin rim, rolled by hand

04 时令馅 A filling that turns with the season

The craft

Read the shape

Each wrapper is pressed translucent with a rolling hammer, then gathered into twenty-four folds — one for every solar term of the year — that bloom open like a flower. Unchanged since the imperial era.

1738 乾隆三年 · 创号 Founded in the Qing dynasty
1752 乾隆御赐匾额 The name 都一处, bestowed by the Qianlong Emperor
非遗国家级非物质文化遗产 National Intangible Cultural Heritage
24 二十四褶 · 一褶一节气 Folds by hand — one per solar term

Six fillings. Twenty-four folds each.

虾Fresh Shrimp鲜虾
蟹Crab Roe蟹黄
三鲜Three Delicacies三鲜
素Vegetable素菜
羊Lamb羊肉
猪Classic Pork猪肉

See the six fillings Read the full story →