chinese dumplings

what is a dumpling?, Jiaozi dumplings, origins of dumplings, dumplings for celebrations

what is a dumpling?

Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough (made from a variety of starchy sources), often wrapped around a filling.

jiaozi dumplings

Jiaozi are a type of Chinese dumpling. Jiaozi are folded to resemble Chinese sycee and have great cultural significance attached to them within China.

Jiaozi are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year throughout northern China and eaten all year round in the northern provinces.

Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are popular in other parts of East Asia and in the Western world, where a fried variety is referred to as potstickers. The English-language term "potsticker" was invented by Buwei Yang Chao in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese (1945).

Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together.

Finished jiaozi can be boiled (shuǐ jiǎo), steamed (zhēng jiǎo), pan fried (jiān jiǎo), or deep fried (zhá jiǎo), and are traditionally served with a black vinegar and sesame oil dip.

They can also be served in a soup (tāng jiǎo).

history of chinese dumplings

In China, there are several different folk stories explaining the origin of jiaozi and its name.

Traditionally, jiaozi were thought to be invented during the era of the Eastern Han (AD 25–220) by Zhang Zhongjing who was a great practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.

Jiaozi were originally referred to as "tender ears" (Chinese: 嬌耳; pinyin: jiao'er) because they were used to treat frostbitten ears. Zhang Zhongjing was on his way home during wintertime, when he found many common people had frostbitten ears, because they did not have warm clothes and sufficient food.

He treated these poor people by stewing lamb, black pepper, and some warming medicines in a pot, chopped them, and used them to fill small dough wrappers. He boiled these dumplings and gave them with the broth to his patients, until the coming of the Chinese New Year. In order to celebrate the New Year as well as recovering from frostbitten ears, people imitated Zhang's recipe to make tender ears.

the three kingdoms

Other theories suggest that jiaozi may have derived from dumplings in Western Asia. In the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 9) jiaozi (餃子) were called jiaozi (角子).

During the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–280), the book Guangya by Zhang Yi mentions jiaozi. Yan Zhitui during the Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550–577) wrote: "Today the jiaozi, shaped like a crescent moon, is a common food in the world." Six Dynasties Turfan tombs contained dumplings.

Later in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), jiaozi become more popular, called Bian Shi (扁食). Chinese archaeologists have found a bowl of jiaozi in the Tang dynasty tombs in Turpan. 7th or 8th century dumplings and wontons were found in Turfan.

shaped like horns

Jiaozi may also be named because they are horn-shaped. The Chinese word for "horn" is jiao (Chinese: 角; pinyin: jiǎo), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by the specific character 餃, which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo (交) on the right.

Jiaozi are traditionally associated with northern China where wheat growing was more common and are now enjoyed by people throughout China, Taiwan, and in diasporic Chinese communities as a lunchtime or dinnertime meal.

Dumplings can be filled with a variety of meat, cooked egg, and vegetable fillings and are best accompanied by some freshly cooked vegetables, pickled cucumbers, and other side dishes.

dumplings for celebrations

Because they are similar in shape to traditional Chinese silver and gold ingots used as currency in traditional times, jiaozi often appear on the table at Chinese New Year’s Eve feasts, where they symbolize hope for wealth and prosperity in the coming year. They are easy to prepare, especially with a group of friends, and make the perfect focus for a Chinese meal.

videos on chinese dumplings

5 Ways To Fold Chinese Dumpling

Here are 5 ways for how to fold Chinese dumplings for potstickers (pan-fried) or for boiling.

Traditional Potsticker Dumplings 煎餃 | The Dumpling Sisters

We've asked the fabulous Dumpling Sisters to share with you their very own family recipe for how to make Chinese pork dumplings. Perfect little parcels of flavour with a sticky bottom and a sweet & spicy sauce. Yum yum yum!

How To Fold Every Chinese Dumpling (Soup Dumplings, Shui Jiao & More) | Method Mastery | Epicurious

Break out your notebook and come to attention because dumpling class is in session! Chef Dr. Tom Lo, professional chef and partner at Chi Restaurant and Spy C Cuisine, joins Epicurious to demonstrate how to fold every type of Chinese dumpling. Watch him expertly make and serve varieties of Shui Jiao, Guotie, Dan Jiao, Xia Jiao and Xiao Long Bao, explaining his craft each step of the way.

My Favorite Japanese Gyoza Dumplings | Kenji's Cooking Show

in conclusion

Nowadays, jiaozi are eaten year-round, and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or as the main course. In China, sometimes jiaozi is served as a last course during restaurant meals.

As a breakfast dish, jiaozi are prepared alongside xiao long bao at inexpensive roadside restaurants. Typically, they are served in small steamers containing ten pieces each. Although mainly serving jiaozi to breakfast customers, these small restaurants keep them hot on steamers and ready to eat all day. Jiaozi are always served with a dipping sauce that may include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine, hot sauce, and sesame oil. They can also be served with soup.

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