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Chinese New Year Auspicious Food: Chinese Dumplings
Chinese Dumplings or Jiaozi
The Chinese are known to attach significance to numbers, dates, foods and even the arrangement of furniture in the house, notably the art of fengshui. An auspicious occasion like Chinese New Year, the most important of all Chinese celebrations is not going to get away with its fair share of “attached” significance. Some call them superstitions. Some call them traditions or beliefs. Whatever they are called, there are many traditions that come with celebrating the coming of Spring, or the beginning of a lunar year for the Chinese. Among them, the making of Chinese dumplings.
Chinese dumpling is not to be confused with its western counterpart—dumplings—or pinches of dough dropped into simmering broth. Chinese dumplings, commonly called Jiaozi, are made with meat, seafood or vegetables (or a combination of these), cleverly wrapped in a dough skin, dainty enough to be eaten in one bite. You can get fastidious or ambitious and attempt to make your own dumpling skin or you can simply buy “wanton” or pre-made dumpling skin from the Asian markets. That will save you hours of slavery to the kitchen and plenty of time to savor the dumplings. I always opt for the second option, due to sheer laziness and a need to hurry up and make them dumplings.
But before we hurry up and attempt these sumptuous nuggets, let’s look a little at the belief behind this tradition of dumpling making the night before Chinese New Year. Dumplings are year round foods but the tradition of making them on Chinese New Year holds great significance. If you use a little imagination, jiaozi looks like the Chinese gold and silver ingots—symbolic of wealth and prosperity. So, why not make lots of jiaozis to usher in a prosperous new year?
Come Chinese New Year’s eve and families who observe this tradition will huddle together around the table to make these succulent treats. They may hide coins in one of the dumplings. The lucky person who finds it is deemed to have good fortune in the coming year.
Now, that we’ve attached the significance behind this tradition, let’s go on with it:
Ingredients
- 1 packet of wanton skins or dumpling skins
- 1 lb of ground meat (traditionally pork, but I love using ground turkey)
- 3 stalks of green onion, chopped
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 1 cup of finely chopped cabbage (optional)
- 2 tbsp. of soya sauce
- 1 tsp of sugar
- ½ tsp. of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of corn flour to gel everything together
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Put the wanton skin aside and mix all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl thoroughly.
- Place a small ball of meat mixture in the middle of the dumpling skin
- Fold the sides together so they line up
- Scrunch the edges together, so they fold like an accordion.
Steam them in a bamboo steamer or regular steamer for 10 to 15 minutes until done. I line my bamboo steamer with aluminum foil for easy cleaning. My hub on bamboo steamer will show you how to use it. You can also boil the dumplings in water but from my experience, they tend to get mushy if you don’t watch it like a hawk.
Let's get started.
One dumpling
Three Dumplings
More!
Dumplings in a Bamboo steamer
Serving Dumplings
Chinese dumplings can be eaten as they are. But more often than not, they are served with dipping sauce. Favorites include black vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, pepper oil and ginger sauce. They help to alleviate the eating experience to a synergistic level.
I often use this sauce to compliment my dumplings.
Ginger-Soy Sauce
- 1 thumb of ginger, finely chopped
- 1 stalk of green onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tbsp of soya sauce
- 1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tsp of black vinegar
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
- 1/8 cup of hot water
Whisk all the above ingredients in a bowl. Good to go.
A dumpling by any other name
Dumplings can morph into other delicacies. The shape may take a slightly slimmer or pudgier form but the filling is quite the same. If you fry them, they are generally known as fried wantons. The Japanese have a fancy name for theirs: Gyoza. A close relative of jiaozi is wanton in the soup, made with a slightly thinner skin and often served in broth with noodles.
Enjoy your dumplings and may the New Year bring you prosperity, health and wealth.
Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year)
Chinese New Year 2012
This year celebrates the year of the Dragon--the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac and perhaps the most auspicious of all the 12 animals. It begins on the 23rd of January 2012 and will last 15 days. The dragon is traditionally symbolic of success and happiness and therefore high revered.
People born in the year of the dragon are supposed to share certain characteristics: innovative, enterprising, brave, self-assured, conceited, passionate and quick-tempered. Know anyone like that? Perhaps they are born in the year of the dragon.
Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved.
Ginger-soy sauce
Dunk your dumpling in the sauce and enjoy.
Comments
I really like Chinese Dumplings. Hmm Yummy:)
I love Chinese dumplings. These look delicious, I'll have to try them.
Anginwu, I love Chinese dumplings and bookmarked your hub as I've never made them. Thanks for the recipes along with the pictures.
This is a SUPER FOOD, I liked Chinese food. In Indonesia we called this "siomay or pangsit". My sister often make this to accompany while drinking tea. She filled this dumplings with various vegetables and meat, sometimes she use a chicken too. But I got special recipes from you, that's a ginger-soy sauce. I'll show this to my sister. She maybe want to make this for my family at the evening. I liked your presentation, stunning pictures and step by step instruction. Well done and you make a great job here. Vote up. God bless you.
Prasetio,
Your photos really make this a great Hub! I printed your recipe. Thanks. Gung hay fat choy.
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I'm with you,Katrinasui, yum! Thanks for dropping by
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Thanks, Pamela Red. Let me know how yours turn out.
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Thanks, Pamela. Enjoy making them--it can be quite an adventure.
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Prasetio, I love "siewmai and pangsit" too. You're lucky to have a sister make all that. Enjoy the sauce and thanks for dropping by to comment. Always a pleasure to see u.
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Kong Hay Fat choy too, Wildiris. Thanks for dropping by with your comments.
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Cnocera, you make me smile with your comments. Dumpling making can be an adventure, especially if you have small kids who love to potter in the kitchen--good time to have them help you with crimping all the dumplings. Thanks for dropping by.
With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, I'm totally craving dumplings. OK, truth be told, I crave dumplings all the time. But can you blame me? They're just the perfect package to satisfy any time, any day.
Oh man I wish I hadn't read this at 9 pm! All the dim sum shops are already closed. And it's kind of too late to make my own now. I don't even have any dumpling skins in the house! Oh, Angeline, you're sending me to bed with a sad stomach tonight.
Oh love Chinese dumplings and I can pick up excellent ones at my local Chinese restaurants - they are soooo good. It's been awhile.
A dear friend and I are so ready for the Chinese New Year - I am an ox and she is a boar - I will p/u some so we can celebrate. Yay! Our signs expect a prosperous year of the Golden Rabbit - but we must do all that is necessary - including eating dumplings. We are both followers of the science of feng-shui.
I'll save your recipe because I will do them myself one fine day.
Thanks a million and rated up!
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Carolyn, thanks for commenting. I agree dumplings can be enjoyed anytime. Checked out your blog--it's very cool.
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LOL, Om. I see u survive your dumpling craving. Did u get some today? Thanks for commenting and have a wonderful Chinese New Year.
Oh, those dumplings look so yummy !! I have never tested one with turkey meat, how's the texture different from pork ?
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Listlady, lol, a boar and an ox, both predicted to do well this year. Good for you...and your friend. Glad you can get good dumplings. I've a dim sum place nearby and can also get pretty tasty ones here. Thanks again for commenting.
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Ingenira, they taste pretty much the same. Friends (lovers of pork) can't even tell whenever they eat mine. Turkey is healthier and also, my Jewish husband refuses to eat pork, hence turkey. Thanks for dropping by to comment.
This sounds like a wonderful recipe and your directions are great - I'll be making these!
I love dumplings in all their variations- Chinese dumplings (authentic!), Russian pelmeni, Kazakh manty. Thank you for directions and I finally ordered from you my bamboo steamer (Happy Chinese New Year to you, Vera :-) ), so I am on my way to make dumplings!
Happy Chinese New Year, Angeline!
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Thanks, Sheilab. Appreciate your comments.
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Vera, so sweet of you to support me (thanks for buying the bamboo steamer). I remember your hub on Russian pelmeni--they are rather similar. Wonder who stole the recipe? Anyway, enjoy your dumplings and Happy Chinese New Year to you too.
Our family loves dumplings! Yummy!
When I'm in the mood, I sometimes make some. However, most of the time, I'm not in the mood (I'd rather take photos than cook, hahaha!), so we just go over to a Chinese restaurant which is just 5 minutes away from our place. Sometimes we even just call and have something delivered home. I love having a Chinese restaurant nearby!
I will show your recipe to my daughter though. She is now enjoying cooking and trying new recipes.
For sure we will also have "tikoy" during Chinese New Year.
Kung Hei Fatt Choy my friend!
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Gong Xi Fa Chai, Jill! Thanks for dropping by with your wonderful comments. Haha--just focus on taking pictures 'cos you take really lovely ones. Leave the dumpling making to the restaurant. I don't make them often too, just when I feel like it.
What is "tikoy"? Reminds me of a type of fish we must eat during Chinese New Year for good luck. Is that it? Or is it the sweet sticky cake. We call it "tikuey"? Haha, the fun we'll have 'cos there are so many different Chinese dialects.
Good to see you again and have a wonderful Chinese New Year!
"Tikoy" is your "tikuey" - the sweet sticky cake.
You are right, there are just so many Chinese dialects. That's why I am finding it hard to learn the language. I can only manage a few greeting words and counting 1 to 10. Of course there are still so many variations of those.
Hahaha!
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
I will make one using your recipe, after the storm here. Thanks Angel, ur d best! Gong Xi Fa Chai!
My wife really liked this one! She is Filipina/Chinese. We are going to observe Chinese New Year tonight. Thanks :)
Gong Xi Fa Chai! She knows fooh kien.
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Jill, Kong Xi Fai Chai--it's today! I know there are so many Chinese dialects and they all sound slightly different. I'm a Teochew and so "tikoy" is said a little differently. Go figure. Thanks for checking back and have a great day.
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Maita, heard about the storm--is it over yet? Enjoy making dumplings.
Sdy53, enjoy your reunion dinner tonight. I'm celebrating tomorrow night. I'm Teochew and I believe Fooh Kien is the same as Hokkien. I know it gets confusing with so many different dialects. Gong Xi Fa Chai to you and your wife.
Xin Nien Kuai Le, Anginwu. I love dumplings. Prasetio was right, in Indonesia we call it Pangsit or siomay, and many Indonesian love to consume it, only we used peanut sauce or tomato-ketchup instead of ginger soy sauce. Thank you for your wonderful recipe.
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Febriedethan, Xin Nian Kuai Le, too. Wow, can't imagine dumpling with peanut sauce or ketchup but each country gives its own spin. Thanks for dropping by with your comments.
I absolutely love Chinese Dumplings with the sauce. I have it with friends when I go to "China Town", Soho in London or in a Chinese Buffet restaurant near my house.
They won't see me for a while, as I can now make my own. :) Thanks for the Recipe.
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Lady E, enjoy your very own home-made dumplings. One good thing about making your own--you know what exactly goes into it. Thanks for commenting.
I love jiozi, one of my favorite foods... We use to name it as guo tie /kuo tie
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Thanks, jojokaya--(now, your name kaya--sounds like my favorite egg jam)for commenting. Glad you love jiaozi.
Oh how wonderful, my daughters love to cook and have been asking for a bamboo steamer now we can do both get a great steamer, know what to do with and it and enjoy the added bonus of making dumplings, what a joy, thanks for sharing. :) Katie
I love steamed dumplings.
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katie, your daughters would enjoy making dumplings. My daughter helps out whenever I make them. It's so much fun. Enjoy your dumplings!
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Thanks, Wendy Krick. Me too.
I love dumplings. It's funny how I can live without rice but not dumplings :)
Thanks for this informative article! It's completed and good organized.
voting up and interesting!
Pls read my hub about Chinese dumpling: http://ali-mostofizadeh.hubpages.com/hub/Chinese-D...
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happypuppy, you must like dumplings a lot. I cannot live without rice, that's for sure. Thanks for dropping by.
Ali, thanks for voting up. I've read your hub and I'm glad to learn another perspective about dumplings.
Thank you; I learned from your hub too. And I like your nice photos because I think the photos were taken with your own camera. Am I right?
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Ali, thanks for checking back. Yes, these are my pictures. Sometimes, I have a craving for dumplings and would make a batch.
These look delicious and fun to make, too. Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks, vespawoolf, they're very delcious.
This looks very yummy. Simply mouth watering. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, Vacation Trip.
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