Boiled, steamed, deep or pan fried, not all dumplings are created equal! Let's talk a little about dumplings, the differences inside and out but all hiding delicious fillings waiting to be tasted!
Dumplings have a huge significance in Asian culture. They come in many sizes, shapes and even colors with just as many kinds of fillings! Sweet red bean to savory pork with mushroom. Especially prepared and served during many festivals to wish happiness, good luck and fortune they can also be enjoyed year round at any time of the day.
I'm no expert but I am excited to share my journey experimenting with new dumplings with you!
I've prepared many dumplings in my life but sadly they boil down to only two different kinds - wontons boiled in and eaten with soup and pan fried potstickers golden crispy and served with a dipping sauce. No batch has been exactly the same varying with combinations of chicken, pork, beef, mushrooms, veggies, tofu and even noodles! I have yet to try to prepare dim sum favorites such as shumai (pork), hargow (shrimp) and xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and to try my hand at making my own wrappers.
When I do try my hand at making my own wrappers, I will take you with me on that journey and compare to store bought. I have heard that homemade is superior but somehow the work involved to produce the quantity my family would consume doesn't appeal to me. I will try it and compare. Right now my hunch is that it will come down to a matter of preference in texture.
That being said there are many kinds of wrappers, not just traditional wheat based wrappers. I am excited to learn with you making crystal and rice wrappers using different flours and starches such as tapioca, potato and rice! Tasty morsels await!
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