We've all seen it happen. The steamer basket of xiao long bao arrives at the table. Your one friend with no patience reaches in, scoops up a dumpling and eagerly plops the entire thing into his mouth. Scalding hot soup squirts from the dumpling, injuring your friend and anyone sitting within dumpling-squirt radius at the table.
Don't be that friend.
Some with a little more patience prefer to take a small bite from the dumpling skin to let the steam escape. After it cools, they sip the now lukewarm soup from the dumpling. You can go this route if you don't mind your soup getting cold.
