Har gow

Ha gow

Ha gow in a bamboo steamer
Alternative names	Xia jiao, also spelled ha gau, ha gaau, ha gao, ha gow, or other variants, Vietnamese "há cảo"
Course	Dim sum
Place of origin	Guangdong, China
Region or state	Cantonese-speaking region
Main ingredients	Wheat starch, tapioca starch, shrimp, cooked pork fat, bamboo shoots, scallions, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings
Media: Ha gow

Har gow
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	蝦餃
Simplified Chinese	虾饺
Jyutping	haa¹ gaau²
Cantonese Yale	hā gáau
Hanyu Pinyin	xiājiǎo
Literal meaning	shrimp dumpling
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin xiājiǎo IPA [ɕjátɕjàʊ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization hā gáau Jyutping haa¹ gaau² Southern Min Hokkien POJ hê-kiáu hoê-kiáu
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	há cảo
Thai name
Thai	ฮะเก๋า [háʔ.kǎw]
RTGS	hakao

Ha gow (Chinese: 蝦餃; pinyin: xiājiǎo; Jyutping: haa1 gaau2; lit. 'shrimp jiao'), also anglicized as ha gow, hau kau, or ha kao, is a traditional Cantonese dumpling served as dim sum. It is made of shrimp meat, and steamed in a flour wrapper. After cooking, the wrapper becomes somewhat translucent, and therefore ha gow is sometimes called crystal shrimp dumplings (水晶蝦餃).

Name

The dumpling is sometimes called a shrimp bonnet for its pleated shape. This dish is often served together with shumai; when served in such a manner the two items are collectively referred to as ha gow-siu mai (Chinese: 蝦餃燒賣; pinyin: xiājiǎo shāomài; Jyutping: haa1 gaau2 siu1 maai2; Cantonese Yale: hā gáau sīu máai).

Ha gow, shumai, cha siu bao, and egg tarts are considered the classic dishes of Cantonese dim sum cuisine and referred to as The Four Heavenly Kings. (Chinese: 四大天王; pinyin: sì dà tiān wáng; Cantonese Yale: sei daaih tīn wòhng).

Description

These shrimp dumplings are transparent and smooth. The prawn dumplings first appeared in Guangzhou outskirts near the creek bazaar Deli. This dish is said to be the one that the skill of a dim sum chef is judged on. Traditionally, ha gow should have at least seven and preferably ten or more pleats imprinted on its wrapper. The skin must be thin and translucent, yet be sturdy enough not to break when picked up with chopsticks. It must not stick to the paper, container or the other ha gow in the basket. The shrimp must be cooked well, but not overcooked. The amount of meat should be generous, yet not so much that it cannot be eaten in one bite.

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  Before steaming
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  Har gow (bottom left) served at a Chinese restaurant in the Sunset District of San Francisco

See also

• Dim sum
• Shumai