China - Song of the South

Southern China is no stranger to fame. The accomplishments of the Song dynasty are pretty unforgettable, the terra cotta army is a lasting impression ten thousand times over, and Shanghai could almost be the center of the universe. But the real southern empire lives in the kitchen. Whether it's the homemade hybrid of northern dumplings and wonton soup (Southern Dumplings), the numbing spiciness of mala, or an iconic shot of sweetness that accompanies this Lotus Root, the south houses many a master chef. This particular bowl holds the best dumpling soup I've ever had.

Southern dumpling soup may be new to me, but Shanghai dumplings have always been a fave. I knew there were soup dumplings and soup shumai, but I had no idea there were Soup Bao as well. The crispy, fried skin, which is similar to a steamed bun and as thick as a pork bao, encases a full spoon of soup.

There are the classic soup dumplings, aka mini juicy dumplings, that almost everyone has tried, and then there is the real Pork and Crab Soup Dumpling. Seafood soup simmers inside a dumpling the size of a large man's fist. There's no way to hold this monstrosity over a spoon so the soup needs to be sucked out with a straw before you can slurp down the rest.

Geographically, my family stronghold lies in the north. I love my northern noshing, my speech is pure Liaoning mandarin, and my papercuts bleed bright red DongBei blood. But when it comes to dumplings and soup, I'm all for the southern Song.