Shao Mai is another iconic member of the dim sum canon. These babies are open at the top and customarily adorned with a tiny crown of shrimp or crab roe, filled with pork.

Regional claims to the shao mai extol different versions of this chimney-style dumpling. Whether it’s the floral-inspired Inner Mongolian version that shuns the seafood in place of mutton, or the Macanese that ditches pork for chewy fishcake and a drizzling of thickened soy and fish sauce, they all share the same basic anatomy and preparation technique: the filling is wrapped in a thin yellow sheet and steamed standing straight up.