Dumplings 饺子，锅贴，包子

DumplingsNo matter what a local will tell you, Beijing does not have bragging rights to the dumpling, but dumplings are more widely eaten in the north and northeast and there are many more varieties available here than elsewhere.  The classic dumpling is made from wheat flour and is traditionally stuffed with meat.  The skins/wrappers vary by thickness and breadiness, depending on if the dumplings are boiled, fried and steamed, and on the skill of your dumpling maker.  The character of the dumpling skin is very much indicative of the restaurant that produces them, and recipes and work techniques are closely guarded.


Some basic dumpling vocabulary:

shui jiao - boiled dumpling

 

 
 
 
水饺 - shui jiao: the classic boiled dumpling
 
 
 
  
 
 
guo tie - traditional pan fried dumpling
 
 
锅贴 - guo tie:  pan fried dumpling*
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
jian jiao - fried dumpling
 
 
煎饺 - jian jiao: pan fried dumpling, often referred to as a 锅贴 guo tie
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

zhen jiao - steamed dumpling
 
蒸饺 - zheng jiao:  crescent shaped steamed dumpling
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
xiao long bao - steamed soup dumplings

小笼包 - xiao long bao: round steamed soup dumpling
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
bao zi
 
包子 - bao zi: also steamed but with a fluffy bread-like rather than noodle-like wrapping; bao zi vary in size from these small ones to softball sized, and are often found at little street side stalls or tiny neighborhood eateries, rather than in restaurants.
 

 

 

 

 

 
馅儿 - xian er: stuffing, either meat 肉 (rou) or vegetable 素 (su) or some combinations but with countless variations on ingredients. Main categories are: 羊(yang) lamb; 牛 (niu) beef; 猪 (zhu) pork; 素 (su) vegetable.


Where to find it?

宝源饺子屋  Bao Yuan Jiaozi Wu (shui jiao)
东方饺子王  Dong Fang Jiao Zi Wang (shui jiao or jian jiao)
锅贴粥铺  Guo Tie Zhou Pu (guo tie or shui jiao)
鼎泰丰  Din Tai Fung (xiao long bao)