As this is the first entry, I find it fitting to introduce myself. I am Isabel, but I was first called HuiLun. I was raised in Pittsburgh, but that isn’t where my story starts. At 10 months old, I was adopted from China, and then brought to Pittsburgh where I was raised by my mom, a second generation German-Hungarian. One thing our family loves to do is cook and then later enjoy the meal together. The first recipe is jiaozi, or dumplings!

Jiaozi are very common all across Asia, known by all sorts of names, but jiaozi is the more general word. I’ve been back to China twice since my adoption and when I visited, jiaozi dumplings were available practically anywhere I went. I loved trying the different types at any chance, so it was only fitting that our family learned how to make them for ourselves. By doing this, we’ve found a delicious way to maintain and incorporate the culture I came from into our family. It’s a way to remember where I came from and to celebrate the fact that even though I may look different from my family, at heart we are still a family no matter what. The cultural differences in our culinary traditions only brings us closer to appreciating those differences. 

Now, there are two ways you can obtain the wrappers for the jiaozi: store-bought wrappers or making the wrappers yourself. Our family prefers the store-bought wrappers as it takes less time. My mom usually makes the filling and then the whole family gathers around the kitchen table to fill the dumplings. As the dumplings get filled, we get the opportunity to slow down and really talk about what is going on in our lives. Once the dumplings are cooked, we get to the best part: eating them. You can choose to eat the jiaozi as the main course or choose to pair them with something else. My family loves them so much that we make them our main course along with a side of spicy peanut-based noodles with pork. Typically, we enjoy this meal when celebrating an Adoption Day, Chinese New Year, or for another special occasion. When we eat these dumplings, time seems to stop as we chat loudly and happily together. We reminisce on the trips we’ve taken to China, and how lucky we are to be a family. A homemade dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment – taking the jiaozi from merely tasty to addictive. Make the recipe special to you by choosing a different sauce, adding more veggies, taking out the meat (but make sure there is enough substance, or they’ll fall flat), and so on according to your liking. This is a unique experience that should be made enjoyable for you and whoever you’re sharing them with. My recipe is our family’s favorite, but the beauty of the tradition is that the process is as fun as the end result.

Now, go ahead and make some delicious jiaozi, the recipe is listed down below 🙂

~ Jiaozi (Dumplings) ~

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 green onions, chopped fine (don’t use food processor)
• ginger (about as much garlic added)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg
• ¼ head Napa cabbage, put into a food processor (not paste, just more fine)
• Wrappers (homemade or store-bought, but store-bought are easier)

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• Sauce (my mom always says to eyeball the whole thing, but ratios are important)
  • soy sauce
  • balsamic vinegar 
    • for these 2, they are pretty much equal, approximately ¼ cup each
  • ginger (about 1 tsp)
  • sesame oil (very little – a little goes a long way)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients into a big bowl for the filling.
2. When filling dumplings, have a big platter ready, the wrappers open, the filling laid out with some spoons in it, and some small bowls of water. Then, place a small dollop of filling onto a wrapper, rub water on the edges of the wrapper, and then seal up the little dumpling. Place dumpling onto the platter, and continue until the filling is gone, or the wrappers are gone.
3. If in a group setting, closer to the end, or when the platter is getting full, boil some water in a big pot. Place dumplings (not too many, but not too little because then you’ll be there forever) into boiling water and stir. Wait for it to boil again, then douse it with one cup of water. Repeat one more time (you bring the dumplings up to a boil a total of three times). They will float when done. Taste one to make sure if you are unsure. Lift them out with a “spider” which is a strainer that looks like a big spoon, and place them on a big serving platter. Continue until all the dumplings are done. 
4. When making the sauce, pay attention to the ratios, but taste test some and tweak as needed. Serve with sauce. Enjoy!

Notes:

• As mentioned above, it’s easier to use store-bought wrappers
• This is better to make in a group setting as multiple people can work at a time, therefore making the process much quicker
• Have large serving platters to place dumplings on (both the cooked and uncooked ones)
• When boiling, there might be too much water at some point. Carefully remove some of the water with the measuring cup you are using, so that the pot doesn’t overflow, but don’t get rid of so much that the dumplings aren’t covered anymore
• Serve with a sauce of your choice, but the homemade soy sauce recipe is the best!

Now, I don’t have the nutrition facts, but who’s really counting when you’re with your family, enjoying a meal together? I hope you enjoy the jiaozi as much as I do. Food is a huge part of each of our cultures, so I hope you explore what makes you uniquely you!