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Dumplings (jiaozhi) (Pork and napa cabbage).jpg
A plate of boiled jiaozi with dipping sauce from Little Fat Dumpling Chinese Restaurant, at Fresno, California.
CourseNormally as an entree
Place of originChina
Region or stateEast Asia
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsDough, ground meat or vegetables
Jiaozi (Chinese characters).svg
"Jiaozi" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese餃子
Simplified Chinese饺子
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᡤᡳᠶᠣᠰᡝ

Jiaozi (Chinese: 餃子; [tɕjàu.tsɨ] (About this soundlisten)) are a kind of Chinese dumpling, commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia. They are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year and year-round in the northern provinces. Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are popular in other parts of East Asia and in the Western World.

Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. Finished jiaozi can be boiled (shuǐ jiǎo), steamed (zhēng jiǎo) or pan-fried (jiān jiǎo) and are traditionally served with a black vinegar and sesame oil dip. They can also be served with soup.

Origin and custom[edit]

Pottery dumpling and delicacies from a Tang dynasty tomb

In China, there are several different folk stories explaining the origin of jiaozi and its name.

Traditionally, jiaozi were thought to be invented during the era of the Eastern Han (AD 25–220)[1][2] by Zhang Zhongjing [3] who was a great practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Jiaozi were originally referred to as "tender ears" (Chinese: 嬌耳; pinyin: jiao'er) because they were used to treat frostbitten ears. Zhang Zhongjing was on his way home during wintertime, when he found many common people had frostbitten ears, because they did not have warm clothes and sufficient food. He treated these poor people by stewing lamb, black pepper, and some warming medicines in a pot, chopped them, and used them to fill small dough wrappers. He boiled these dumplings and gave them with the broth to his patients, until the coming of the Chinese New Year. In order to celebrate the New Year as well as recovering from frostbitten ears, people imitated Zhang's recipe to make Jiao'er.[4]

Other theories suggest that jiaozi may have derived from dumplings in Western Asia. In the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 9) jiaozi (餃子) were called jiaozi (角子). During the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–280), the book Guangya by Zhang Yi mentions jiaozi. Yan Zhitui during the Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550–577) wrote: "Today the jiaozi, shaped like a crescent moon, is a common food in the world." Six Dynasties Turfan tombs contained dumplings.[5] Later in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), jiaozi become more popular, called Bian Shi (扁食). Chinese archaeologists have found a bowl of jiaozi in the Tang dynasty tombs in Turpan.[citation needed] 7th or 8th century dumplings and wontons were found in Turfan.[6]

Jiaozi may also be named because they are horn-shaped. The Chinese word for "horn" is jiao (Chinese: ; pinyin: jiǎo), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by the specific character , which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo () on the right.[7]

Cooking jiaozi in a wok on a wood stove

At the same time, jiaozi look like yuan bao silver or gold ingots used as currency during the Ming dynasty, and as the name sounds like the word for the earliest paper money, serving them is believed to bring prosperity.[8] Many families eat these at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve. Some cooks will even hide a clean coin inside a jiaozi for the lucky to find.[9]

Nowadays, jiaozi are eaten year-round, and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or as the main course. In China, sometimes jiaozi is served as a last course during restaurant meals. As a breakfast dish, jiaozi are prepared alongside xiaolongbao at inexpensive roadside restaurants. Typically, they are served in small steamers containing ten pieces each. Although mainly serving jiaozi to breakfast customers, these small restaurants keep them hot on steamers and ready to eat all day. Jiaozi are always served with a dipping sauce that may include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine, hot sauce, and sesame oil. They can also be served with soup as well.


Four types of jiaozi. Clockwise from upper left: boiled dumplings (shuijiao) , steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), deep fried dumplings (guotie), soup dumplings (tangjiao).

Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) may be divided into various types depending on how they are cooked:

  • Boiled dumplings (simplified Chinese: 水饺; traditional Chinese: 水餃; pinyin: shuǐjiǎo; lit.: 'water dumpling')
  • Steamed dumplings (simplified Chinese: 蒸饺; traditional Chinese: 蒸餃; pinyin: zhēngjiǎo; lit.: 'steam dumpling')
  • Pan-fried dumplings (simplified Chinese: 锅贴; traditional Chinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē; lit.: 'pan stick', also referred to as simplified Chinese: 煎饺; traditional Chinese: 煎餃; pinyin: jiānjiǎo; lit.: 'dry-fried dumplings') also referred to as "pot-stickers"
  • Soup dumplings (simplified Chinese: 汤饺; traditional Chinese: 湯餃; pinyin: tāngjiǎo; lit.: 'soup dumpling')

Dumplings that use egg rather than dough to wrap the filling are called "egg dumplings" (simplified Chinese: 蛋饺; traditional Chinese: 蛋餃; pinyin: dànjiǎo; lit.: 'egg dumpling').


Suancai shuijiao (酸菜水餃, boiled jiaozi with suan cai stuffing), Northeastern Chinese style

As a dish prepared at home, each family has its own preferred method of making them, using favorite fillings, with types and methods of preparation varying widely from region to region. Common dumpling meat fillings include pork, mutton, beef, chicken, fish, and shrimp, which are usually mixed with chopped vegetables. Popular vegetable fillings include napa cabbage, scallion (spring onions), leek, celery, spinach, mushroom, edible black fungus, carrot, and garlic chives.

Folding technique[edit]

In north China, folded jiaozi are placed on bi (箅), in case the stuffing will make the shape saggy. Bi is made by dried sorghum stems, and it also gives Jiaozi a mark at the bottom.

There are many ways to fold jiaozi. Basically, steps for folding the skin includes putting a single pleat in the middle, putting multiple pleats along the edge, making a wavy edge like a pie crust, turning a pleated edge in toward the body resulting in a rounded edge, and putting both ends together resulting in a round shape.[10] Different shapes of Jiaozi require different folding techniques, but the most famous and common technique is the pinched-edge fold.[11] Take a wrapper and put one tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold a half of edge to the other half. Use left thumb and forefinger to pinch one side of the half-moon wrapper, and then use right thumb to push the inside skin outward, right forefinger to make outside skin into small pleats. Use right thumb to clench those pleats. Repeat these steps to the other side of the wrapper, and make sure to clench the seal of Jiaozi.[12] This is crescent-shaped jiaozi, the most popular shape in China.



Jiaozi is called gaau ji in Cantonese and are standard fare in Guangdong style dim sum. The immediate noted difference to Northern style is that they are smaller and wrapped in a thinner translucent skin, and usually steamed. The smaller size and the thinner wrapper make the dumplings easier to cook through with steaming. In contrast to jiaozi, Guangdong gaau ji are rarely home-made because the wrapper, which needs to be thin but tough enough to not break, is more difficult to make. Many types of fillings exist, with the most common type being har gow (simplified Chinese: 虾饺; traditional Chinese: 蝦餃; Cantonese Yale: hā gáau; lit.: 'shrimp dumplings'), but fillings can include scallop, chicken, tofu, and mixed vegetables; dim sum restaurants often feature their own house specials or innovations. Dim sum chefs and artists often use ingredients in new or creative ways, or draw inspiration from other Chinese culinary traditions, such as Chaozhou, Hakka, or Shanghai. More creative chefs may even create fusion gaau ji by using elements from other cultures, such as Japanese (teriyaki) or Southeast Asian (satay or curry), while upscale restaurants may use expensive or exotic ingredients such as lobster, shark fin and bird's nest.

Another Cantonese dumpling is yau gok (Chinese: 油角; pinyin: yóu jiǎo; Cantonese Yale: yàuh gok), which are made with glutinous rice dough and deep fried.


Making guotie
A plate of potstickers (guotie) and dipping sauce

Guotie (Chinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē; lit.: 'pot stick') is pan-fried jiaozi, also known as potstickers (a direct character translation) or 'panstickers' in North America, or yaki-gyōza (焼き餃子, lit. “pan-fried jiaozi”) in Japan. They are a Northern Chinese style dumpling popular as a street food, appetizer, or side order in Chinese cuisine. This dish is sometimes served on a dim sum menu, but may be offered independently. The filling for this dish usually contains pork (sometimes chicken, or beef in Muslim areas), cabbage (or Chinese cabbage and sometimes spinach), scallions (spring or green onions), ginger, Chinese rice wine or cooking wine, and sesame seed oil.

Guotie are shallow-fried in a wok (Chinese: ; pinyin: huò). A small quantity of water is added and the wok is covered. While the base of the dumplings is fried, the upper part is steamed and this gives a texture contrast typical of Chinese cuisine.

An alternative method is to steam in a wok and then fry to crispness on one side in a shallow frying pan.

Exactly the same dumpling is boiled in plenty of water to make jiaozi and both are eaten with a dipping sauce or chilli paste.

Fried dumplings served with Green Onion and sauce

Three or five folds are made on one side of the round wrapper that is rolled so that the edges are thinner than the middle. This gives the base a large surface area that helps to give the dumpling stability to stand up in the pan.

The Chinese method of preparing the dough is to pour boiling water onto the flour and letting stand for five minutes and then adding a small quantity of cold water. This helps to activate the gluten in the dough.

Other names for guotie:


Guōtiē is said to date back over four millennia. However, the first mention in literature dates back to the medieval Chinese Song Dynasty (AD 960 – 1280) reporting guōtiē as being exceptionally good for the human soul. Legend has it that they were invented by an imperial Chinese court chef who panicked after realizing he'd accidentally burnt a batch of dumplings. With no time to make any more, he eventually served them to the Emperor.[14][15] 7th or 8th century old dumplings and wontons were found in Turfan.[6]


Gyōza with chili oil

The Japanese word gyōza (ギョーザ, ギョウザ) was derived from the reading of 餃子 in the Jilu Mandarin (giǎoze) and is written using the same Chinese characters. The use of katakana script indicates that the word is of non-Japanese origin. Following the Second World War, Japanese soldiers who returned from northeastern China brought home gyōza recipes.

The prevalent differences between Japanese-style gyōza and Chinese-style jiaozi are the rich garlic flavor, which is less noticeable in the Chinese version, and that gyōza wrappers appear to be consistently thinner, due to the fact that most Japanese restaurants use machine-made wrappers. In contrast, the rustic cuisine of poor Chinese immigrants shaped westerners' views that Chinese restaurant jiaozi use thicker handmade wrappers. As jiaozi vary greatly across regions within China, these differences are not clear. For example, visitors will easily find thin skinned ones at restaurants in Shanghai, and from street food vendors in the Hangzhou region. Gyōza are identical to jiaozi made in Chinese households using store bought machine made wrappers. Gyōza are usually served with soy-based tare sauce seasoned with rice vinegar and/or chili oil (rāyu in Japanese, làyóu (辣油) in Mandarin Chinese). The most common recipe is a mixture of minced pork (sometimes chicken or beef),[citation needed] cabbage, Asian chives, and sesame oil, and/or garlic, and/or ginger,[citation needed] which is then wrapped into thinly rolled dough skins. Gyoza share similarities with both pierogi and spring rolls and are cooked in the same fashion as pierogi, either boiled or fried.

Gyōza and gyōza wrappers can be found in supermarkets and restaurants throughout Japan, either frozen or ready to eat. Pan-fried gyōza are sold as a side dish in many ramen and Chinese restaurants.

The most popular preparation method is the pan-fried style called yaki-gyōza (焼き餃子), in which the dumpling is first fried on one flat side, creating a crispy skin. Then, water is added and the pan sealed with a lid, until the upper part of the dumpling is steamed. Other popular methods include boiling sui-gyōza (水餃子) and deep frying age-gyōza (揚げ餃子).

Store-bought frozen dumplings are often prepared at home by first placing them in a pot of water, bringing it to a boil, and then transferring them to a pan with oil to fry the skin.



The Tibetan version is known as momo (Tibetan: མོག་མོག་) The word "momo" comes from a Chinese loanword, "momo" (饃饃),[16] which translates to "steamed bread". When preparing momo, flour is filled, most commonly with ground water buffalo meat. Often, ground lamb or chicken meat is used as alternate to water buffalo meat. Finely chopped onion, minced garlic, fresh minced ginger, cumin powder, salt, coriander/cilantro, etc. are added to meat for flavoring. Sauce made from cooked tomatoes flavored with timur (Sichuan pepper), minced red chilies is often served along with momo.

Jiaozi and wonton[edit]

Jiaozi should not be confused with wonton. Jiaozi have a thicker skin and a relatively flatter, more oblate, double-saucer like shape, and are usually eaten with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce (and/or hot chili sauce), while wontons have thinner skin and are usually served in broth. The dough for the jiaozi and wonton wrappers also consist of different ingredients.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Frozen ears: The story of gyozas". The Malay Mail. One would always have suspected that the ubiquitous Japanese gyoza originated from China – and one would be completely right, unlike most economists. The origins of the gyoza are said to stem from the treatments invented by Zhang Zhongjing (150–219 AD), a Han dynasty physician born in Nanyang. One of his inventions was the jiaozi (though it was originally called "tender ears") and they were used to treat frostbitten ears during the freezing winters.
  2. ^ "Seeking XLB". The Austin Chronicle. Chinese dumplings are said to have begun near the end of the Eastern Han dynasty with Zhang Zhongjing (AD 150–219), a famous northern Chinese medicinal herbalist known as "The Medicine Saint".
  3. ^ "the origin of Jiaozi". people.com.cn. people.com.cn. Retrieved 2002-02-07.
  4. ^ "你知道冬至为什么吃饺子吗? 医圣张仲景发明". 人民网. 人民网. 23 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Archaeologists Discover Ancient Dumplings in China".
  6. ^ a b Hansen 2012, p. 11.
  7. ^ Norman, Jerry (1988) Chinese, Cambridge University Press, pp. 76–77.
  8. ^ "Steamed pork dumplings 鮮肉大蒸餃". Graceful Cuisine. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  9. ^ Simonds, Nina (25 January 1995). "Dumplings, for a Lucky Year of the Pig". New York Times.
  10. ^ "餃子". 百度百科. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  11. ^ Yarvin, Brian (2007). A World of Dumplings. New York: The Countryman Press. Woodstock, Vermont. p. 50. ISBN 9780881507201.
  12. ^ "饺子的N种时尚新奇包法". 百度经验. 31 December 2012.
  13. ^ "What is Peking Ravioli?". About.com. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  14. ^ Fong, Nathan (February 5, 2013). "Potstickers: A tasty traditional dish for Lunar New Year". The Vancouver Sun.
  15. ^ Parkinson, Rhonda Lauret (2003). The Everything Chinese Cookbook: From Wonton Soup to Sweet and Sour Chicken. Simon & Schuster Canada, Inc.
  16. ^ Jīn Péng 金鹏 (ed.): Zàngyǔ jiǎnzhì 藏语简志. Mínzú chūbǎnshè 民族出版社, Beijing 1983, p. 31.