Dumpling the Chinese into a New Year

Jiaozi	Jiaozi

Jiaozi, also called dumpling, is a kind of food with meat and vegetable fillings. It is very popular at the Chinese New Year and at other festivals. And it tops the list of delicacies of people in North China, where people eat jiaozi at midnight on New Year’s Eve and for breakfast on New Year’s Day.

The history of jiaozi dates back to ancient time. But the custom of making jiaozi a special dish during Spring Festial- the Chinese New Year, started in the Ming Dynasty, some 500 to 600 years ago. Though time as changed, the tradition has remained. But today, jiaozi is considered more as a sign of propitious blessing than of fortune.

There is no set rule as to what makes dumpling fillings. They can be anything from vegetables, meat to seafood. Whatever the fillings, the wrapping skill needs to be exquisite to make jiaozi look attractive. Generally, jiaozi are boiled in water and served with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic or chilli oil if one likes them hot. In some parts of the Northeast China, however, dumplings are boiled in broth together with vermicelli made from bean starch, and served together.