How to eat a soup dumpling without losing the soup

The first time most people bite into a soup dumpling, they get a lesson in physics and a burned chin at the same time. The broth inside is hot, and it wants out. So here is how we teach our own team to eat one.

Lift the dumpling gently by the top knot with your chopsticks. Rest it on your spoon. Nudge a small hole in the side and let a little steam escape. Sip the broth from the spoon first. Then eat the rest in one bite with a little ginger and vinegar.

That is really all there is to it. The soup is not a trick or a garnish. It is rendered from pork skin and bones overnight, set into a jelly, then folded cold into the dumpling so it melts back into broth when it steams. When you rush the bite, you lose the best part.

Slow down for ten seconds. Your chin will thank you, and so will the dumpling.