How to Find the Perfect Dumpling Dipping Sauce Pairing
The dumpling dipping sauce you choose for your soup dumplings can completely change the experience for each bite you take. It’s like the dining equivalent of a Choose Your Own Adventure book.
Explore the different types of dumpling dipping sauces there are and how they can take your soup dumpling experience to a new level.
Pairing Dipping Sauces with Dumplings
There are hundreds of different ways to pair your sauce of choice with dumplings or even Chinese noodles if you want to add a different flavor to the experience. However, the easiest way to break down some of the best dumpling dipping sauces is to categorize their dominant flavor profiles.
These are some of the best options you can use to find the perfect dumpling dipping pairing.
Sour: Black Vinegar Dumpling Sauce
Black vinegar, or Zhenjiang xiagu cu (镇江香醋) is a Chinese pantry staple for many households—including ours. We regularly find it in our grocery carts. It has a milder tang than other types of vinegar, so for many people, it’s the best dumpling sauce out there when mixed with some shredded ginger.
This is the basis for a lot of different dumpling sauces because it so perfectly cuts through the savory and fatty flavors of the meat within. Some of the types of dumplings and dim sum it pairs well with include:
- Soup dumplings (小笼包), naturally
- Wontons (馄饨)
- Jiaozi (饺子)
- Guo tie (锅贴)
Part of the reason why black vinegar is trusted as the best sauce for dumplings is because it’s a staple. Almost anything can pair well with a sauce that uses black vinegar as its base—that’s why it’s the basis for the sauces so many dumpling shops use.
Spicy: Chili Crunch
Spicy dumpling sauces like our Chili Crunch have become a pantry staple for a reason—they go with practically anything, even Italian pasta dishes or sandwiches.
There’s a reason people put that stuff on everything. These chili oil-based sauces add the perfect blend of spicy and tingling mala (麻辣) flavors, along with notes of garlic and onions to create a multifaceted flavor experience.
Some of the dumplings Chili Crunch and other spicy sauces go with include:
- Har gow (虾饺)
- Fun guo (潮州粉果)
- Shumai (烧卖)
- Pork wontons
However, a few dabs of Chili Crunch can go with just about anything, even more delicate flavors like shrimp or crab. Dip, dunk, or dowse your dumplings in its bright, garlicky spiciness, and never look back.
Umami: Ginger Scallion Oil
This umami ginger sauce takes the umami flavors that are naturally in dumplings and launches them into the stratosphere for a combination that’s out of this world. Some of the best pairings for umami ginger and scallion sauces include:
- Chicken guo tie
- Chicken wontons
- Pan-fried jiaozi
- Practically any steamed dumpling
This combination is a bestseller for us for a reason—it’s perfectly delicate and brings out the nuanced flavors in just about any dumpling, including our classic xiao long bao. Let it take you on a journey that reminds you of the best Hainanese chicken rice you’ve ever had.
Sweet: Dumpling Dipping Sauce
This is our house blend! Combining the acidity and saltiness of vinegar and soy sauce with a subtle sweetness of brown sugar, this is a balanced blend that pairs perfectly with all types of dumplings, including:
- Shumai
- Har gow
- Shuijiao (水餃)
- Fun guo
- Soup dumplings
Our Dumpling Dipping Sauce has elements of savoriness and caramelized notes that make it a natural pairing with soup dumplings.
Blending the Perfect Chinese Dumpling Dipping Sauce
Ghostbusters was wrong in this case. You can—and should—cross the streams with your dumpling dipping sauce. Half the fun of eating dumplings is blending dipping sauces to find the perfect concoction for your tastes. In no particular order, some of our favorite combinations include:
- Punching up our dumpling dipping sauce with a dash of Chili Crunch
- Adding a garlicky tang to our ginger scallion oil with our dumpling dipping sauce
- Putting an extra acidic zhuj in your Chili Crunch
- Blending all three sauces to create the perfect combination for your exact tastes!
Find the Perfect Sauce for Soup Dumplings Today
Never eat a dry dumpling again! Order your favorite sauce or try all three members of our sauce trio to find your perfect dumpling dipping sauce combination.