{"id":8939,"date":"2026-01-22T22:37:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T22:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/foodie\/?p=8939"},"modified":"2026-01-25T21:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T21:54:12","slug":"shanghai-nese-lions-head-meatballs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bhiggs.x10hosting.com\/foodie\/shanghai-nese-lions-head-meatballs\/","title":{"rendered":"Shanghai-nese “Lion’s Head” Meatballs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/span>Shanghai-nese “Lion’s Head” Meatballs<\/span><\/h2>\n
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When I was a kid, my dad cooked just one thing: si zi tau<\/em> (\u201clion\u2019s head meatballs\u201d), a homey Shanghainese dish of pork meatballs simmered with napa cabbage and glass noodles in a flavorful, gingery chicken broth and served with rice. As a kid, I\u2019d watch him vigorously mix ground pork with egg whites, cornstarch, and water with his hands, part of the alchemy behind their signature tender, silky texture. I\u2019d help him shape the large orbs (big, like a lion\u2019s head) while he talked up the importance of refrigerating them before cooking and never, ever skipping the egg whites. He\u2019d tell me that lion\u2019s head meatballs reminded him of Shanghai and his mom\u2019s cooking. At the time, they reminded me of \u201cstinky lunch box\u201d embarrassment\u2014a typical tale of the first-generation American experience. Now they remind me of him.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>4<\/span><\/div>\n\n
Author: <\/span>Melissa King – Eat, Drink, Films<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/span>Ingredients<\/span><\/h3>