Grab your chopsticks and soup spoons, and get ready to tuck in this National Dumpling Day, Thursday 26th September! Celebrate in Chinatown London, and scoff delicious dumplings in all shapes and sizes, steamed or pan fried, soupy or crispy. There’s plenty to go around in this humble ESEA culinary hot spot.
A beginner’s guide to dumplings:
Bao Zi - Dumplings made with a thick dough resembling a bun, a common favourite is Char Siu Bao
Gyoza - Crescent-shaped Japanese variation made with a more delicate and stretchy dough, steamed and fried for a crispier ‘skin’
Har Gau - The wrapper is translucent and filled with juicy prawn
Jiaozi - Crescent-shaped dumplings, usually filled with ground pork & cabbage and served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil
Mandu - A Korean favourite, fillings include anything from pork and cabbage to seafood or even cheese and kimchi
Siu Mai - Open top dumplings, traditional Cantonese Siu Mai are made with a filling of ground pork and prawn
Wonton - Much more dense in texture, best enjoyed boiled in a rich broth or soup, steamed or even fried!
Xiao Long Bao - Delicate soup dumplings, comprising of pork and a gelatinised bone broth held in a thin wrapper
The symbolism of dumplings:
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to these tasty parcels of joy. Dumplings are often eaten during Chinese New Year as they are said to represent luck, auspiciousness and prosperity. Some say they look like money pouches or boat-shaped gold ingots. It is believed that the more dumplings you eat, the more fortune you will gain throughout the year!
Dumplings also signify unity and coming together, traditionally people will get together with loved ones to make, cook and of course eat dumplings. Not only are they a delicious culinary creation but also an important cultural tradition that unites people. Across ESEA cultures, dumplings hold significance as a symbol of friendship and community.
Best spots in Chinatown for dumplings:
Orient London 15 Wardour St, London W1D 6PH
Plum Valley 20 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JQ
Dumplings Legend 15-16 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JE
Leong’s Legend 39 Gerrard St, London W1D 5QD
Tao Tao Ju 15 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BE
China Modern 12 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7PR
Haozhan 8 Gerrard St, London W1D 5PJ
Bun House 26-27 Lisle Street, London WC2H 7BA
