Book of Days Tales

On this date in 25 CE, Liu Xiu under the name Guangwu claimed the Eastern Han throne as emperor from the short-lived Xin dynasty. By the time of his death in 57 CE he had united all of China.  Modern Han Chinese, who are the majority ethnic group in China today look to this era as their founding moment.  In modern Chinese language Mandarin is commonly called “Hanyu” (that is, Han language) and Chinese culture is called Han culture.

Dumplings (饺子 – jiaozi), which are ubiquitous in China today, are said to have been invented by the Han dynasty medical sage Zhang Zhongjing.  Nowadays, dumpling shops can be found on every city block, and when you go in for a bite in the morning you will find two or more cooks sitting at tables making fresh dumplings.  I recommend that you buy dumpling skins rather than make them yourself – round ones.  You will find them at any Asian market.  Here is a recipe for a pork filling plus instructions on making them.

Ingredients.

    1 lb ground pork

    ½ cup green onion, finely chopped

    1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

    1 teaspoon sesame oil        

    1 teaspoon salt       

    ¼ cup soy sauce     

    2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    1 large egg

    1 lb Chinese cabbage, chopped fine

To make the filling

In a large bowl, mix the pork, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, vegetable oil and egg. Set aside to marinate for 1-2 hours.

Place the cabbage in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water from the cabbage before you add it to the pork mixture.

To make the dumplings

Take a dumpling wrapper and place it on the palm of your hand. Place a tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to form a semi-circle and pinch the edges together. Place the dumpling flat on the table with the pinched edges facing up, and flatten the bottom slightly. Now pinch a few pleats into the edge of the dumpling. Repeat ad infinitum.

To pan-fry dumplings

Heat ½ tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan with a lid. Place the dumplings in a single layer in the frying pan, leaving 1cm space between them. Cook with the lid on over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add ⅓ cup water to the pan and replace the lid. Continue cooking until the water evaporates and the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown.

Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.