When it comes to the foods I crave, distance has never been a deterrent: I once shlepped a hundred-and-some-odd miles to Virginia for a crispy Korean chicken wing. I’ve squeezed through messy big-city rush hours for even messier Mexican street food, or to find some authentic Szechuan heat. 

Nowadays, it’s so much easier fulfilling food dreams all around Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. Korean fried chicken spots are bubbling up everywhere. Birria tacos are being dunked by the dozens. And now, Chinese soup-style dumplings – plump, chewy Xiao Long Bao – have officially landed. These magical pillows of hi-carb nirvana are quite possibly the perfect conversational food item: First, you delicately balance the quivering package on your spoon, Then, carefully puncture the top to reveal rich broth inside. Sip it (it’s hot!),  

Congratulations! You’ve just discovered your next obsession. And here’s where to indulge it: 

Ugly Dumpling, 140 E. Main St., Newark.

Grab a table where you can watch your dumplings being crafted behind the window that reveals the kitchen workshop. Great spot for pairing with a stroll around downtown Newark’s shops and boutiques. (Ugly Dumpling’s hot-pot sister restaurant, KPOT, is also worth a trip.) 

Long Bao & Noodles Express, 626 Newark Shopping Center, Newark.

Here’s another highly charming spot with plenty of dumpling action, but also a solid menu of other noodly Asian delights, from pad thai to udon. (Also consider checking out the fun restaurant next door, Kungfu Hotpot BBQ.) 

Dumplings Stock PhotoAsian Noodle House, 4138 Ogletown-Stanton Rd. (Del. 4), Ogletown.

This offspring of a tried-and-true mother restaurant in Edison, N.J., has a proudly authentic vibe, and dumplings that come in a rainbow of colors – think spinach, beetroot, carrot and (!) squid ink. Pro tip: Try the soup dumpling sampler. 

Kyushu Ramen and Dumplings House, 4710 Limestone Road, Pike Creek Shopping Center, Pike Creek.

There are scads of dumplings (one with mushroom soup!), along with alluring dim sum classics, Japanese-style fried chicken, soba noodles and some lip-smacking smoothies. Definitely worth a repeat visit. 

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, 101 Geoffrey Drive, Newark (COMING SOON).

The greater Newark area is getting the latest outpost of a well-established New York-area chain, which also offers an “all-day breakfast” menu of dumpling-focused fun.