Italian ravioli, Turkish manti, Ukranian perogies, and Chinese potstickers. All of these dumplings have one thing in common, which is people all over the world enjoy this food, whether it’s boiled or fried. It is said that approximately 1,800 years ago, a man by the name of Zhang Zhonjian from the Han dynasty invented dumplings after learning many of his fellow citizens in his village struggled with frostbite around their ears. Zhang cooked up a batch of mutton, chilli and healing herbs and wrapped them in scraps of dough. He folded the dumplings to look like little ears, boiled them and handed them out to his afflicted neighbours. Whether these dumplings really cured his fellow villagers or not, it remains a mystery to this date but the dumplings have definitely not!
Nowadays dumplings are enjoyed in a variety of ways by different nationalities. They have all put their own spin on it, stuffing it with different types of meats and vegetables. Dumplings are a staple dish during Chinese New Year often bringing families together. The recipes are often cherished and passed down from generations to generations. It becomes a bonding experience for the whole family to enjoy.
In the short film Bao, by Canadian director Domee Shi, a story about a Chinese- Canadian mom suffering from loneliness has her fate overturned when one of the dumplings comes to life. It shows the relationship of many Chinese-Canadian families who may be overprotective of their children once immigrating to a new country but putting their struggles aside to share their love of food. In this case, their love of food is them making it together as a family.
Restaurant #1 – Ding Tai Fung Shanghai Dim Sum
Ding Tai Fung Shanghai Dim Sum is located in a busy Markham strip mall 35-minutes drive from downtown Toronto – and it’s well worth the drive. Known for their Shanghai dim sum and meat dumplings, this restaurant offers more than 145 dishes to chose from!
Restaurant #2 – Mother’s Dumpling
The name best describes this authentic dumpling, made just like traditional moms. This restaurant located in the heart of downtown Chinatown has their dumplings made from scratch every morning. The dumplings come in a variety of cooking styles such as boiled, steamed, and fried.
Restaurant #3 – Dumpling House Restaurant
This corner store located in Chinatown is packed with regulars on a day to day basis who come for freshly fried or steamed dumplings! This restaurant serves unique mushroom and spinach dumplings that come in groups of 12, held together by a thin, fragile, golden fried net that crumples as you tear them apart.
Sources:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/12/20/bao-oscars-shortlist_a_23624032/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bao-short-film-oscar-nominated-1.4994409
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/02/11/chinese-new-year-dumplings/
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It is very interesting to see how many varieties of dumplings exist and also how they have been innovated through history. I really like how detailed the description of the food from the restaurants are.
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