Har gow (), 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 (æ°´æ¶è¦é¤Â).
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 ().
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. ().
These shrimp dumplings are transparent and smooth. Yi Zhen restaurant (æ¡çÂÂè¶楼) in Wufeng Village (äºÂé³³æÂÂ), Guangzhou, was the first restaurant to serve har gow. It was called Wufeng Har Gow (äºÂ鳳鮮è¦é¤Â) at that time.
In a poem by Ho Shihuang (ä½Âä¸ÂæÂÂ), a well-known Cantonese cook and author of "Classic Cantonese Pastry Techniques" (ç¶Â堸粵é»ÂæÂÂæ³Â), har gow is described as follows:
The poem shows that a juicy filling inside a thin, soft and translucent wrapping are the essentials of an authentic har gow.
This dish is said to be the one that the skill of a dim sum chef is judged on. Traditionally, har 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 har 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.