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Chinese · Northern China

Dumplings (Jiaozi)

Chinese jiaozi are the dumplings of Chinese New Year — pork and nappa cabbage wrapped in a thin wheat flour skin and either boiled (shui jiao), pan-fried (guo tie/potstickers), or steamed (zheng jiao). The filling must be seasoned aggressively — dumplings need to season their own dough skin from the inside. The wrapper should be thin at the body and slightly thicker at the pleated edge.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
Serves4
Total60 min
Sourced2of 10 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

250 g
all-purpose flour
Your own market
120 ml
boiling water
Your own market
2 g
sea salt
Your own market
200 g
napa cabbage
finely chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
100 g
ground pork
Your own market
15 g
fresh ginger
minced
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
2 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
8 ml
3 ml
sesame oil
Your own market
1
scallion
minced
Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Combine flour and salt; pour boiling water into center while stirring with chopsticks until shaggy dough forms.
2
Knead on floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth; rest 15 minutes under cover.
3
Toss chopped cabbage with 2 g salt; squeeze dry after 5 minutes.
4
Mix pork, drained cabbage, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallion until evenly combined.
From the canon — Spring onion is the most ubiquitous aromatic in Chinese cooking and its function is more complex than its common use as a garnish suggests. SCALLION (SPRING ONION) TECHNIQUE →
5
Roll dough into 12 mm rope; cut into 16 pieces and flatten each into 8 cm disc.
6
Place 10 g filling in center of each disc; fold and pleat edges to seal, creating half-moon shape.
7
Bring salted water to boil in large pot; add dumplings in batches and cook until they float, then 2 minutes more.
8
Remove with slotted spoon and serve with soy sauce or black vinegar for dipping.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where jiaozi lives or dies is the sealing pressure — the pleated edge must be pressed firmly enough that no gap remains, but not so firmly that the wrapper tears. Run a wet finger along the edge before pressing if the dough has dried out. The test: hold a raw dumpling underwater for 10 seconds — if it holds its seal, the wrapping is correct.
V

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

Japanese gyoza (the direct adaptation
thinner wrapper, more garlic, steam-fry technique)
Korean mandu
(similar wrapper and filling, different seasonings)
Nepalese momo
(steamed mountain dumplings with a similar filling philosophy).
VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino
Gonzalez Byass · Jerez DO
Bridge — the dish's salt meets a saline edge in the glass; the cure and the pour speak the same language.
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Fortified wine
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Cut — the acidity ('lime zest') scrubs the salt and savour between bites; the palate arrives clean at every pass.
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Cut — the bead ('effervescent') scrubs the salt and savour between bites; the palate arrives clean at every pass.
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
The whole pairing
VII

Origin & Lineage

Northern China, at least 1,800 years of documented history. The crescent shape is said to resemble yuan bao (ancient Chinese gold ingots) — eating jiaozi at New Year brings wealth. Every Northern Chinese family has its own recipe, passed through generations.

Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · fresh ginger, soy sauce
→
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