When it comes to Chinese comfort food, nothing beats a really good bowl of hand-pulled noodles or a steaming, silky bowl of mapo tofu. Yet our love affair with Chinese food often centers around dumplings.
Whether they’re boiled, steamed or pan-fried, it’s just so easy to eat five, six or even a dozen of the plump and juicy dough bundles stuffed with ground meat and/or vegetables. And you don’t even need to head to your favorite Chinese restaurant or order takeout to enjoy them.
With a bit of practice, most home cooks will find jiaozi fairly easy (and fun!) to make, especially if you get an assembly line going and opt for pre-made wrappers.
Because they’re shaped like ancient Chinese ingots, dumplings are often a celebratory food in China, enjoyed during holidays such as the Lunar New Year, when they symbolize wealth and prosperity for the upcoming year. But that’s not always the case. Former Pittsburgher Hannah Che, who wrote the James Beard Award-winning “The Vegan Chinese Kitchen” in 2022, grew up eating them any time the family got together.