Great food and good company are bound to bring plenty of good vibes for the year to come…So, gather around your family – or friends if you’d rather, we won’t tell – , pick your favorite 饺子 (jiǎozi, dumpling) recipe and prepare for a serious dumpling party making session! To help you get ready for the 饺子 (jiǎozi) dumpling party of the year, here are a few recipes and tips on making the best Chinese dumplings around!

Getting the wrapper (皮 pí) ready

The real way to make wrappers

If you’re a hands-on kind of person, odds are you’ll want to get your hands in there and make the wrappings yourself. It’s a pretty straightforward recipe and as far as I’m concerned, nothing beats homemade cooking! It also requires very few ingredients; two in fact, that you most likely already have at home, namely water and all-purpose flour. Even the salt is optional. Sure, the kneading can be quite a workout, but it’s definitely worth the effort!

You’ll need: 2 cups of flour and 3/4 cups of water. Instructions on what to do next can be found here.

Rolling out the dough

Once your dough is ready, you need to tear it into little balls of doughs (1 ball = one dumpling) and them roll the balls out into small flat circles. Here’s how it’s done: You can also check out how to roll out the dough in a superfast mode here.

Cheating a bit

If you’re feeling lazy, unsure of your cooking skills, or just ran out of jiaozi dough and can’t face the idea of making some more (it might look like you made a zillion, but they’ll go in the blink of an eye!), wonton wrappers are an excellent substitute :). Read here and here on how to choose the best kind of Wonton wrappers at your local Asian store. They might also be called “gyoza” wrappers (Japanese name) or “potstickers.” Or nothing at all in English. As long as they look like a pile of wrappers, and have a picture of dumplings on them, they should work.

Tip: Wonton wrappers are typically stiffer than homemade dough (and sometimes square. The square ones require a bit more folding than round portions do. Since they’re stiffer, you might want to wet them a bit when handling them (to ensure they don’t crack). You can also brush (with a paintbrush – fingers work too!) water on the edges to make sure they stick together better.

If you don’t have a paintbrush, fingers work too! (Picture courtesy of the La Times ) 

Making the 馅 ( xiàn – filling)

Here are a few recipes to choose from

Now, when it comes to dumpling fillings, you can basically use whatever you want, following the one-meat/ choice of the chopped vegetable rule of thumb. Not very useful I know.

Traditional combinations are pork mixed with cabbage, leeks, Chinese chives (called 韭菜 – jiǔcài – way more fragrant than their Western counterpart!) or carrots. Then, of course, you can substitute chicken, mutton, or beef for the pork. Shrimp is also a very popular 馅 (filling) ingredient. Once you’ve decided on your meat and veg(s) of choice, you can pretty much play it by ear, focusing on fragrance and taste, adding a little ginger here, a little Sichuan pepper there, a dash of five-spice, salt, and pepper, a splash of sesame oil and cooking wine, chopped scallions; chives … and there! Your filling is ready!

You can also choose to follow a recipe that seems good to you. For example, these two sounded 好吃 (hǎochī, good): a pork one and a vegetable and almost no meat one. If you’re not a meat-eater at all, this vegetarian recipe seems really simple (not too many ingredients) and tasty. Then there’s this shrimp and chive recipe. I’m also considering this one, which calls for split peas and is a bit more unconventional but still has the potential to be excellent.

A flavorful and fragrant filling is really what makes the difference! credit: avlxyz

Overstuffing and other don’ts

What you want to watch out the most for is overstuffing. Overfilling the dumplings will unavoidably lead to leakage as you’ll most likely be plunging them in water to cook them the traditional way during the Chinese New Year. There are of course other ways to cook 饺子 (jiǎozi), but dumplings cooked in water are what you’re supposed to be eating on 除夕chúxī, New Year’s Eve…. So make sure your dumplings are well sealed to prevent leakage and water-filled dumplings!

Also, the filling should be moist but not too wet, so it can’t even pretend to try to seep through the wrapper. Remember: a holey dumpling = an empty dumpling wrapper once cooked.

And now, what you’ve been waiting for: how to fold the dumplings

Ready? Set? Fold!

The idea behind folding the dumplings is really simple: put a little filling in the middle of the dumpling and then fold it in half. Then move your thumbs along the sides, while pressing down to get the sides to stick together… You’re supposed to create pleats along the edge for extra-sealing. The hard part is getting it them to look nice, even and well-sealed. Mine always look lopsided and remind me of sad-looking dinosaurs… But once you get the hang of it, it’s quick to fold them.

Think dinosaurs when folding

If you do it properly, as in the video, the dumplings should look like proud dinosaurs instead. Much better!

Time to eat!

Cooking the dumplings

Ok, so now you should be facing a sea of uncooked dumplings, waiting to get cooked and eaten.

Making dumplings for the dumpling party sure takes a while, but it’s fun to do and well worth the effort!

How you choose to cook them is entirely up to you… But, as I mentioned before, boiling the dumplings in water (like making tortellini) is the traditional way of eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year. You’ll frequently come across dumplings served like that in China.

Boiled dumplings are called 水饺 shuǐjiǎo.

Other ways of cooking the jiaozis include pan-frying them or steaming the dumplings.

Steamed dumplings are called 蒸饺 zhēngjiǎo

Pan-fried jiaozis are actually called 锅贴 guōtiē

I really can’t say which cooking method I like most!

Making the dipping sauce and you’re ready for your Dumpling Party!

The last thing to prepare is the dumpling dipping sauce. The sauce is a traditionally a mix of Chinese black vinegar (醋 – cù) and soy sauce. You can add to this chilies, ginger, chives, and garlic.

Start with 125 ml of vinegar (cider vinegar or wine vinegar will also work as a substitute) and 30 ml soy sauce, and then add some ginger and chili. Tinker with the sauce until you find the taste you like best! I’ve had trouble getting used to Chinese black vinegar so my sauce is  real simple: just soy sauce mixed with dried chili flakes.

Now, all that is left to do is eat and enjoy!

Making dumplings is a great group activity for 除夕 Chinese New Year’s eve. Sure, traditionally, it’s a family activity, but it’s always a great group activity to do during a dumpling party, whenever you feel like it!

虎年快乐! hǔniánkuàilè! Happy Year of the Tiger!

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

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Celebrating the new year in China has a lot to do with scaring away the evil spirits, bringing yourself and your family good luck prosperity, and making sure the new year is off to a good beginning. And partying for 15 straight days, until 元宵 (yuánxiāo), the Lantern Festival, puts an end to the festivities. So, ready to learn how to celebrate?

Eat dumplings and fish with your family

Celebrate with your family

春节 is mainly a family event, where everyone gathers together to drink, eat, talk and have fun. The Chinese New Year is of particular significance for people working hundreds or thousands of miles away from home because they can return to their families for a reunion. This period is known as the world’s largest annual migration (read: The Chinese New year is NOT the time you want to be planning on taking the train, a bus, or a plane in China.)

过 : guò = celebrate

过春节 : guò chūnjié = celebrate the New Year.

回父母家: huí fùmǔ jiā = to go home to your parents.

和家人一起吃饺子和鱼: hé jiārén yīqǐ chī jiǎozi hé yú = eat fish and dumplings with your family

和家人一起过春节: hé jiārén yīqǐ guò chūnjié = celebrate Chūnjié with your family

Make dumplings

The making of 饺子, “Jiǎozis,” or dumplings, is a traditional family event on the day before the Chinese New Year (that would be the 9th of February 2013 this year), especially in the Northern part of China. The whole family gathers to make (or wrap – 包: bāo) dumplings and then eat them. It sounds like fun! Some believe they are packing in luck for the coming year by making dumplings. Ancient Chinese coins used to be hidden in the dumplings, also for prosperity. We’ll soon be sharing our own dumpling wrapping secrets and recipes :).

Prepare for some serious dumpling-making sessions! credit: kattebelletje via photopin

除夕: chúxī = New year’s eve

春节的前一天 = Chūnjié de qián yītiān = New year’s eve

饺子: jiǎozi = dumplings

包饺子: bāo jiǎozi = to make dumplings

吃饺子: chī jiǎozi = to eat dumplings

For example: 春节的前一天，我们会包饺子.

Chūnjié de qián yītiān, wǒmen huì bāo jiǎozi.

On New Year’s Eve, we make dumplings.

Eat fish

Fish is another essential dish for 春节, again for purely symbolic reasons. In Chinese, fish (鱼) is pronounced yú, which sounds like this character: 余, (also pronounced yú). 余 means “remains,” surplus or abundance.” So by eating fish (and some say, leaving a few leftovers), you are hoping for a prosperous year! The tradition is to eat a salad, called 捞鱼生 (lāoyúshēng), composed of raw fish and crunchy vegetables. You toss this salad to symbolize luck and prosperity, so the higher you toss the salad and the louder you shout out the name of the salad, the more chance you’ll get in the coming year.

鱼: yú = fish

余: yú = remain; surplus

年年有余 : nián nián yǒu yú = May there be abundance year after year!

Watch ’em toss that salad!

Wish good tidings

Here are a few key phrases to wish a happy new year to your family, friends, and acquaintances once midnight strikes!

过年吉祥话: guò nián jí xiáng huà = New Year wishes

拜年: bàinián = pay a New Year’s call

初一: chūyī = 新年的第一天 = New year’s day

To wish someone something in Chinese, start by saying : 祝你 : zhù nǐ = I wish you or 祝大家:  zhù dàjiā = I wish you all.

Newbie

新年好!: xīnnián hǎo!

新年快乐!: xīnnián kuàilè!

Both mean Happy New Year!

Level up!

Good Health

身体健康! : shēntǐ jiànkāng  = May you be healthy!

Good fortune

万事如意 : wànshì rúyì

Character breakdown

万: wàn = 10 000. It has also come to mean “everything”,+ 事:shì = thing + 如:rú = if  + 意: yì = wish == all the best!

For example 祝你在新的一年里万事如意

Zhù nǐ zàixīn de yìnián lǐ wànshì rúyì!

I wish you all the best for this new year!

Prosperity

财源广进 : cáiyuán guǎngjìn = We wish you abundant wealth.

This sentence is similar to 年年有余.

Do

Wear new clothes

In China, you buy and wear new clothes for the New Year. More generally, the idea is to make sure everything is ready to usher in the new year: houses are cleaned, hair is cut, debts repaid, new clothes acquired… so you can start the new year with a clean slate. Regarding the dresses, red-colored ones are favored. That’s because, in ancient times, the Chinese believed that red could scare away evil spirits and bad fortunes. Also, red symbolizes good luck and sounds like success.

Any excuse to buy new clothes is a good one. I like this tradition!

Decorate doors and windows

Doors are decorated with vertical scrolls of characters on red paper. Each household will write Chinese characters seeking good luck and praising nature. This practice stems from old traditions to keep away ghosts and evil spirits. 春联 (chūnlián) is the Chinese name for these vertical scrolls, also called couplets.

The tradition is to frame the door with these scrolls and stick a big “福” (fú = good fortune) sign in the middle. photo credit: kuber

Delicate and intricate red paper cutouts are also stuck on windows. These paper cutouts are called 窗花 (chuāng huā).

A New Year family activity is also making paper cutouts by hand. Kudos to them if they can make ones that look as good as these!  credit: West Zest

贴: tiē = to stick

贴春联: tiē chūnlián = to stick vertical scrolls

贴窗花: tiē chuāng huā = to stick paper cutouts

Make some noise!

Firecrackers are a big celebratory thing in China, used for weddings, festivities, and of course, the Chinese New Year. Firecrackers (called 鞭炮 – biānpào – in Chinese) are usually strung together to make more noise, as the noise was thought to scare away evil spirits. The first time I heard firecrackers in China, I honestly felt a riot was happening outside. Silly me. On New Year’s eve, everybody goes out to lit firecrackers and celebrate the beginning of the new year. So get ready to hear severe firecracker blasts once midnight strikes!

放鞭炮: fàng biānpào = to light firecrackers

Newcomers to China can easily mistake these firecrackers for something else because of the level of noise they create! photo credit: amythyst_lake

Give New Year gifts

红包, hóngbāo, or red envelopes, which contain money, are traditionally given during the Chinese New Year. They mean lucky money. It is customary for married couples and older folks to give these envelopes to the young ones, ranging from children… to unmarried people. Bosses also sometimes give those to their employees. Small gifts (food and such) are also exchanged between friends or neighbors. Oranges and citrus fruit are trendy gifts.

Watch the New Year TV Gala

In China, everybody gathers to watch the annual Chinese New year TV Gala during the evening. The show is called 春节晚会 (chūnjié wǎnhuì) and is meant to showcase traditional customs. It’s a family program, so expect a bit of everything: music, acrobatics, acts… Although, I’ve heard it’s becoming increasingly cheesy. Guess that’s a trend in television everywhere…

You can check out former shows on your favorite video player, listen to a compilation of the songs played on the show here, and see this year’s lineup here. (In China, it shows on CCTV-1)

Sing the New Year Song

There’s a popular children’s song you can sing for the New Year holiday, called 新年好呀 (Xīn Nián Hǎo Ya!), which you now know means Happy New Year (literally “New Year’s Good, Ya!”). As you’ll hear in the video, the melody is similar to the song “Oh My Darling, Clementine.”

Chorus:

新年好呀！ 新年好呀! Xīnnián hǎo ya! x2 Happy New Year!x2
祝贺大家新年好! Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo! Happy New Year to you all!
我们唱歌，我们跳舞 Wǒmen chànggē, wǒmen tiàowǔ. We are singing; we are dancing.
祝贺大家新年好! Zhùhè dàjiā xīnnián hǎo! Happy New Year to you all!

So, how are you planning to celebrate the Chinese New Year?

We’ll be making our own 饺子 of course, and we’ll going to our local Chinese restaurant to enjoy a ten course Chinese New Year Feast Yum!

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐!

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

The Nincha Team

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________________________

Credit for title picture: Gw.Wang

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