Jiaozi (boiled dumplings)
Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas · CC0

History

Dumplings have been eaten in China for more than 1,800 years. A story attributes them to the Han-dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing, who filled thin dough with mutton, onion and chilli to cure frostbitten ears. The crescent shape is likened to ancient ingots, so the dish stands for wealth, and families fold them together at the Lunar New Year, sometimes hiding a coin in one. In Beijing the shops are small and cook to order: Baiweiyuan fills and cooks its dumplings à la minute.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Makes about 40Hands-on 1 hrTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 200ml cold water
  • 400g minced pork, about 20 percent fat
  • 400g napa cabbage, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2cm piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
  • 80ml cold chicken stock
  • Black vinegar and shredded ginger, to serve

Method

  1. Mix the flour and water into a rough dough, knead for 5 minutes until smooth, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Toss the cabbage with 1 tsp of the salt and leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze it very dry in a clean cloth.
  3. Stir the pork with the remaining salt, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger and white pepper in one direction for 2 minutes, adding the stock a spoonful at a time until the mixture turns sticky. Fold in the cabbage, spring onion and sesame oil.
  4. Roll the dough into a log, cut into 40 pieces and roll each into a 7cm round, thinner at the edge than the centre.
  5. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper, fold it over and pinch the edge shut, pleating one side if you like. Keep finished dumplings on a floured tray.
  6. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the dumplings in two batches and stir gently once. When the water returns to the boil add 100ml cold water, repeat that twice more, and lift out the dumplings once they float and the wrappers turn translucent, after about 6 minutes.
  7. Serve at once with black vinegar and shredded ginger.

Tip from the editors. Squeeze the salted cabbage as dry as you can; a wet filling leaks through the wrapper and splits the dumplings in the pot.

Where to eat jiaozi (boiled dumplings)

Jiaozi (boiled dumplings) in Beijing

Baiweiyuan Dumpling (Tuanjiehu Road) ★ 3.8

¥ DumplingsChaoyang Park

Baiweiyuan on Tuanjiehu Road in Beijing stuffs and cooks its dumplings to order, as dumpling soup, steamed or potstickers, so service is slower than usual.

TryBaiwei dumplings, boiled, steamed or pan-fried

TipDumplings are filled and cooked to order, so expect a wait; the egg-and-tomato dumpling suits ovo-vegetarians, and soy-braised pork trotter is a cold starter.

Directions

Beef & Dumplings (Shunyuan Street) ★ 4.1

¥ DumplingsLiangmaqiao

Beef & Dumplings on Shunyuan Street in Beijing braises beef shin for over ten hours with spices and wraps beef and carrot dumplings in house-made skins.

TryBraised beef shin and beef-and-carrot dumplings

TipPick your own vinegar and toppings at the self-serve condiment station; the braised beef can also be bought to take away.

Directions

Xian Lao Man (Andingmen) ★ 3.8

¥ DumplingsGulou Nanluoguxiang

Xian Lao Man on Andingmen Inner Street in Beijing is a dumpling house serving mackerel and chive dumplings, fried starch sausage and Beijing home dishes.

TryMackerel and chive dumplings, with fried starch sausage

TipPair the dumplings with a Beijing side such as Qianlong cabbage, madoufu (fermented mung bean curd) or gedatang soup, all on Ctrip's list.

Directions

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