User:Yuanxi Wang/Jiaozi

The Right Steps to Make Jiaozi [edit]

Chinese dumplings are a beloved delicacy, a symbol of harmony, and one of the best foods to prepare with loved ones. Chinese dumplings (Jiaozi) are a type of noodle dish wrapped in a filling. The Chinese usually use round pieces of dough to wrap savory ingredients such as meats, eggs, and vegetables. Jiaozi can be steamed, fried or boiled, but the most classic is the boiled dumpling.

Difference in Flour

The process required to make jiaozi is not very complicated, but it is very demanding in terms of the ingredients used to make it, especially the choice of flour. There are two well-known types of flour: low-gluten flour, medium-gluten flour and high-gluten flour. The biggest difference between these three types of flour is the percentage of protein (Anastopoulo, 2023). The proteins in wheat are divided into two main groups: glutenin and gliadin (Anastopoulo, 2023). These two proteins are the basic components of gluten. when water (or a liquid containing water) is added to these two proteins, they join together to form gluten (Anastopoulo, 2023). Gluten makes the dough malleable, while gluten is elastic (Anastopoulo, 2023). So if there are more proteins in the flour, it means that the dough will be more resilient and the resulting pasta will be more elastic and chewy. So if there is more protein in the flour, then that means the dough will be tougher and the pasta will be more elastic and chewy. Chinese call this type of noodle "sinewy".

How to Choose Flour

For making jiaozi, most people choose to use medium or high gluten flour. Medium gluten flour, also known as all-purpose flour, is commonly used in baked goods such as pasta, bread and cakes. High-gluten flour contains more protein and is used for products that require stronger gluten, such as bread, pasta, and jiaozi (Anastopoulo, 2023). to prevent dumplings from being cooked in the pot, and also to make a jiaozi filling more filling, the Chinese will use a flour with a higher percentage of protein to make a more al dente dough.

Making the Dough

Once we have the best flour, it's time to make the dough. The dough for making jiaozi in China needs to be soft and sticky enough to allow for easy follow-up, but not too soft and sticky. "In general, the flour-water ratio is about 2:1 (not by volume), for example, for 250 grams of all-purpose flour, you need 125 grams-130 grams of water." Wei Guo writes about this in her article (Guo, 2022). Of course one can also choose to use a machine to make the ratio perfect. Next we need to knead the dough until all the flour in the bowl has been collected and a rough dough has formed.

"Rest"

The dough then needs to "rest", as Wei Guo says, "for 10 minutes and then knead to a smooth, medium-hard dough. Then it rests for another 30-60 minutes until it is soft." This results in a smoother, more elastic dough. This "resting" means to let the dough rest in a closed environment for a period of time to ferment. This makes the dough easier to roll out into a thin sheet to create a nice-feeling dumpling skin (Zhu, 2022).

"Long Rope"

Once the dough has rested, shape it into several ropes and cut them into equal sized pieces (Guo, 2022). In China, these small pieces are called "xiao ji zi". Next you need to press each piece into a flat circular disk with the palm of your hand and roll them into thin wrappers with a rolling pin (Guo, 2022).

Filling

Once you have completed the above steps, mix and match your favorite ingredients to create your favorite dumpling filling . In China, it is common to use pork, lamb and beef as the main proteins, followed by your favorite side dishes and seasonings. The meat and vegetables are crushed and mixed with seasonings, and then the filling is applied to the dough. It is important to note that the skin and dough will dry out quickly, so use what you have. You can keep the unused skins and dough in an airtight place to prevent the water from evaporating.

Boiled Jiaozi

Never take your eyes off the pot when boiling the jiaozi (Zhu, 2022). This is the trickiest part. While the water is boiling and the jiaozi are floating on the surface, we need to add a little cold water for a total of three times. This is a very traditional way to tell if the jiaozi is cooked (Guo, 2022).

1. Guo, W. (2022, June 12). Chinese dumplings, an ultimate how-to guide (Jiaozi/饺子). Red House Spice. https://redhousespice.com/dumpling-guide/
2. Anastopoulo R. (2023, September 25). Protein percentage in flour: Why it matters. (2023, September 25). King Arthur Baking. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2023/09/25/protein-percentage
3. Zhu, M. (2022, December 16). How to Make Chinese Dumplings from Scratch. Omnivore’s Cookbook. https://omnivorescookbook.com/recipes/how-to-make-chinese-dumplings