Dumplings: Little Bundles of Joy
Written by Jen Gao
For the culture keepers, so that traditions stay alive and delicious.
If you had to choose one food item to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’ve thought long and hard about this in the past, and I always arrive at the same answer—dumplings.
Why, you ask??
They’re little meals in a bite or two. They pack in everything I’d need in a bite—protein, carbs, and a whole lotta tastiness. They probably have some veggies, though I could always use more. They’re like meatballs, but wrapped. And I love meatballs.
I love that different cultures have their own versions of dumplings. In China, there are steamed, boiled, or soup dumplings. There are wontons too, which follow the same concept but have a thinner, lighter skin. And don’t even get me started on the buns and baos.
Korea has mandu, and Japan has gyoza. Yes, they’re all dumplings, just in their respective languages, but each has a distinct mouthfeel and taste. My girl put me on these Costco Beef Bulgogi Mandu Dumplings that are only in some locations. The slight sweetness, the chopped-up vermicelli, and the nicely thin skin—perfect for boiling or frying—make them absolutely perfect.
Some other great ‘dumplings’ I’ve tried include momos from Tibet and Nepal and pierogies from Poland. And gnocchi are technically Italian dumplings with their cute bouncy bodies, but I think ravioli or really agnolotti seem more like dumplings for me because of their meat filling.
Either way, all variations of dumplings are great. I’ve definitely learned to appreciate dumplings and complement them with raw garlic and black vinegar because of my dad’s Northern Chinese background. It’s a thing up north since it’s colder, so the dumplings are hearty while the garlic provides warmth and comfort, and the vinegar provides balance.
But why are dumplings such a big part of Lunar New Year traditions?
Because of these golden bois.
Dumplings resemble the Chinese gold ingot, so having dumplings at the dining table symbolizes wealth and prosperity for the year ahead. By making dumpling-making a family tradition, we encourage collective wealth and good fortune.
Of course, we love family and cultural traditions as well as more wealth for all of us. Just like we practiced with vision boarding at our Dumplings and Dreams: A Lunar Wellness Day event, anything we put into our vision or sight stays top of mind, encouraging more appearances in our lives and forming stronger associations with the feelings of already having it.
Whatever it is you desire in your near or far future, having those visual reminders can be extremely helpful, which could be on your wall, wallpaper, or even bathroom mirror! Dumplings definitely remind me of the times I used to wrap them with my Nainai, so I’m ensuring she and the tradition live on through me.
