Lion's head meatballs
狮子头
Shī zi tóu
Oversized hand-chopped pork meatballs, stewed in clear broth with napa cabbage or braised in a dark sauce.
Get to know the dish
The Woks of Life calls lion’s head a classic of Huaiyang cuisine, the culinary tradition of eastern China and primarily Jiangsu, and says the name comes from the meatballs’ resemblance to a Chinese guardian lion. Yangzhou’s government portal describes a crab version made with quality streaky pork and crab meat, and tells of a chef creating it for the Sui emperor Yang’s visit to Yangzhou. The same portal places it in Yangzhou’s three-head dish beside braised silver carp head and roasted pig’s head. A Visit Beijing feature from CGTN says the meatballs are half lean and half fat, and that crab cooked with them makes the soup pure white.
What to look for
Each meatball is large, typically three times the size of a regular meatball according to Visit Beijing’s Jiangsu guide. China Sichuan Food says traditional recipes chop the pork by hand rather than grinding it, for a better texture.
Every kitchen has its version
Lion’s head also appears on Shanghai menus. China Daily’s guide to Shanghai cuisine says Shanghai refines the cooking of neighboring provinces, mostly Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and calls the lion’s head meatball uniquely Shanghainese. China Sichuan Food assigns a thick brown-sauce version to Zhenjiang and a lighter clay-pot version to Yangzhou, so ask which tradition the kitchen follows.
Regional versions
- Yangzhou crab version. Yangzhou’s government portal describes quality streaky pork mixed with crab meat; CGTN says crab makes the soup pure white.
- Zhenjiang brown sauce. China Sichuan Food describes the Zhenjiang version as meatballs in a thick, brown sauce, and the Yangzhou version as a lighter clay-pot braise.
- Red-braised. Visit Beijing’s Jiangsu guide describes hand-chopped meat pan-fried to seal in juices, then braised in soy, vinegar, wine, sugar and cornstarch.
- Three-head dish. Yangzhou’s portal serves steamed crab meat with large meatballs together with braised silver carp head and roasted pig’s head.
Questions people ask
Why is it called lion's head?
The Woks of Life says the name comes from the meatballs’ shape, which resembles the head of a Chinese guardian lion. China Sichuan Food adds that the vegetables around them can look like a mane.
Is lion's head from Shanghai or Jiangsu?
Both claims appear. Yangzhou’s government portal and The Woks of Life tie it to Yangzhou and Huaiyang cooking in Jiangsu, while China Daily’s Shanghai cuisine guide calls it uniquely Shanghainese and says Shanghai refines the cooking of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Does lion's head contain crab?
Sometimes. Yangzhou’s crab version mixes streaky pork with crab meat, and CGTN says people in southern provinces usually add hairy crab meat. A plain menu listing may be all pork, so ask if you avoid shellfish.
How fatty are lion's head meatballs?
Traditionally quite fatty: CGTN and China Sichuan Food describe half lean and half fat. The Woks of Life’s home recipe uses a 70/30 lean-to-fat ratio and warns that leaner meat makes the meatballs dry.
Last reviewed
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.
- Yangzhou government portal (China Daily) — Crab meat with large meatballs (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Yangzhou government portal (China Daily) — Three-head dish (opens in a new tab) ↗
- The Woks of Life — Lion’s head meatballs (opens in a new tab) ↗
- China Sichuan Food — Lion’s head meatballs (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Visit Beijing (CGTN) — Red braised lion’s head (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Visit Beijing — Jiangsu cuisine (opens in a new tab) ↗
- China Daily (China Services Info) — Shanghai cuisine (opens in a new tab) ↗
