Asian American Frozen Foods: Synear’s ‘Pork Soup Dumplings’

When I was shopping at Ranch 99 (that’s how I call the Asian supermarket chain), I saw Synear’s ‘Pork Soup Dumpling’  (also known as ‘Xiao Long Bao’ – or XLB’s abbreviated) in the freezer section. It brought me fond thoughts of Din Tai Fung. I like to try new things whenever I visit the supermarket, so I thought for $3.99, I’d give it a try.

The package itself contained 18 frozen XLB’s, and I could fit into my steamer about 15 (before steaming):

and after steaming (between 9 to 11 minutes – I chose 10 minutes):

and I have to say, the XLB’s were pretty tasty, especially given the fact that they were frozen and only $3.99 for 18!

I was impressed. The XLB was very hot (as I quickly ate one after steaming them) and the inside pork was juicy and tasty. I’ve tried Trader Joe’s version of XLBs (I don’t think I ever did a review), and can’t say that I’m a fan. But these by Synear were worth it! I posted on Facebook and got some questions about Synear, such as whether or not they were made in America. After a quick Google search, found out, yes, they were made in the US:

“Headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan province, Synear is one of the largest and most well-known frozen food brands in China. Famous for their various types of frozen dumplings, Synear began its business in 1997 and has since grown to dominate 30 percent of China’s frozen food market. Producing and manufacturing a wide array of frozen food products, from savory and sweet dumplings, to specialty desserts and snacks, the company has become the leading maker of ready-to-eat frozen foods. Despite capturing a substantial size of the domestic market and selling to large supermarkets and fast food chains like KFC, Synear wanted to expand more in the international arena.

…

While there are already a handful of frozen Asian cuisines readily available, Synear’s decision to open a manufacturing facility in California, which has the largest Asian population in the U.S., is an indication that the company is looking at a long-term game plan and end-result.

“Using products locally grown and produced in the U.S. for their frozen foods would mean a higher chance of getting their product line out to more supermarkets and restaurant chains,” says Jim Foo Loo, cofounder and former CEO of Big L Enterprises, a food service distributor on the East Coast. “All of our customers demand the best quality food that has FDA approval and is locally sourced,” he says.

With U.S.-grade meats and vegetables now in their frozen foods, not only are they able to expand their product line in the U.S., they’re also able export to Canada, Europe and Australia.”

I couldn’t find a website for Synear Foods USA, but they did happen to have a Facebook page, which I’m now following. I will have to see what else they have in the frozen section – hopefully some Pork Shu Mai…