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Chinese Name: 饺子
English Name: Jiaozi; Dumpling
Category: Staple主食
Main Ingredients: Flour; Pork
Jiaozi饺子 evolved from wonton, originated from jiaozi角子 in ancient China, formerly known as “Jiao’er娇耳”. Dumplings have a history of more than a thousand years since the Han nationality汉族 began to eat them.
Jiaozi, also known as dumplings, is deeply loved by the Chinese people. It is not only a staple food and local snack in northern China but also a new year’s food. There is a saying called “big cold大寒, little cold小寒, eat dumplings for the new year吃饺子过年.”
Dumpling is not only a kind of delicious food in China but also contains Chinese national culture. It is not only a delicious snack for every family but also a must-eat food on New Year’s Eve, expressing people’s yearning and appeal for a better life.
Jiaozi originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty汉朝 and was first created by Zhang Zhongjing张仲景, a native of Dengzhou, Henan Province, in the Eastern Han Dynasty东汉. At that time, dumplings were eaten as medicine. Zhang Zhongjing wrapped some cold dispelling herbs in the flour skin to treat diseases (mutton, pepper, etc.) to avoid frostbite on the patient’s ears.
Dumplings evolved from wonton. In its long development process, it has many names, such as “Laowan牢丸”, “Bianshi扁食”, “Jiao’er饺饵” and “Fenjiao粉角” in ancient times. During the Three Kingdoms period三国时期, it was called “crescent wonton月牙馄饨”; During the northern and Southern Dynasties南北朝, it was called “wonton馄饨”; In the Tang Dynasty唐代, dumplings were called “Yanyue shaped wonton偃月形馄饨”; In the Song Dynasty宋朝, It is called “Jiaozi角子”; It was called “Bianshi扁食” in Yuan Dynasty元朝 and Ming Dynasty明代; In the Qing Dynasty清代, it was called “Jiaozi饺子”.
Today, on the Winter Solstice冬至, northern China still has the custom of slaughtering sheep, eating dumplings and eating wontons; The southern region has the custom of eating winter solstice rice balls冬至米团 and long-term noodles长线面 on this day. Moreover, there is the custom of offering sacrifices to heaven and ancestors in various regions on the day of the winter solstice.
How to make Jiaozi?
Ingredients：
- 500g pork
- 1000g cabbage
- 15g ginger powder
- 30g chopped green onion
- 15g salt
- 5g pepper
- 25g cooking wine
- 15g monosodium glutamate
- 2g sesame oil
- 25g edible oil
- The half catty dumpling skin
Instruction:
- Step 1, Peel and wash the pork and cut it into fine grains. Then wash the cabbage, cut it into a fine powder, add an appropriate amount of salt, squeeze out water after pickling, and then mix well with refined oil.
- Step 2, Mix pork with ginger, onion, refined salt, pepper, cooking wine, monosodium glutamate and sesame oil, and then add cabbage to mix well.
- Step 3, Take a piece of dumpling skin, put the stuffing in, and then fold and pinch the dumpling skin on both sides in half.
- Step 4, Repeat step 3 to make enough dumplings.
- Step 5, Add water to the pot, boil over high heat, and then boil the dumplings in boiling water.
Tips:
- The proportion of fat and lean pork is 4 ∶ 6.
- Cabbage can not be directly added to pork grains. It must be mixed with oil before adding.
- Chinese cabbage must be pickled, squeezed out part of the water, and then added.
- When cooking dumplings, be sure to wait for the water to boil before cooking. When cooking dumplings, wait until the water is completely boiled, then put the dumplings into the pot, and then gently push them in one direction with a spoon to prevent the dumplings from sticking to each other or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Just after the dumplings are put into the pot, you should open the pot and cook them first. Cover the dumplings and cook them in time. When the dumplings are about to rise to the surface and are almost cooked, open the lid of the pot.
- After the water boils, you can put an appropriate amount of salt in the pot. After the salt dissolves, you can put the dumplings into the pot. In this way, the boiled dumplings will not stick or break the skin.
