Dumplings, Dumplings, Dumplings

In case you didn’t know, today I’ll be talking about dumplings. Hoping to have Dim Sum for lunch today, which got me thinking about this topic.

Growing up mostly in Austria, I became acquainted with every type of dumpling imaginable. Coming to the US, I encountered Asian dumplings at restaurants and supermarkets such as gyoza and shumai. I never knew there is a whole world of dumplings out there. Considering historical trends, I’m pretty sure the Chinese actually invented the dumpling, much like everything else useful.

To this day, dumplings are one of my favorite things to eat. Even people who insist on not liking dumplings eat them without realizing it. Ever had gnocci, the Italian baby dumplings made out of potatoes and flour? The appetizers you get at a Chinese restaurant for about $10 that you can buy for $3 at the grocery store – those are delicious dumplings too.

My favorite are the ones I was first introduced to in Austria. They give the word a whole new meaning. They’ve got dumplings in soups, as starters, as sides, as mains and as freakin’ dessert. They make them out of stale bread, potatoes, meat, stuff them with jam, sprinkle them with bacon, and coat them with poppy seeds and vanilla custard. Can I say more?

My curiosity with these fascinating culinary creations led me to research of course. Here’s a list of dumplings around the world:

Gyoza (Chinese)

Shumai (Chinese)

Siopao (Filipino)

Ravioli (Italian)

Germknoedel (Austrian)

Matzoball (Jewish)

Chicken & Dumplings (American)

Spaetzle (Austrian)

Knoedel (German)

Serviettenknoedel (Austrian)

Leberknoedel (Austrian)

Pierogi (Polish)

Galuste (Romanian)

Corn Dumplings (Mexico)

Pelmeni (Russian)

SouskluitjiesSouskluitjiesSouskluitjies (South African)

Banh bot loc (Vietnamese)

And here’s a picture of probably my favorite dumpling of all time – Germknoedel, which in German means yeast dumpling. It’s a monster, filled with plum butter (jam that’s reduced to a very thick consistency), served with the aforementioned poppy seeds and vanilla custard. I was served this occasionally at the Catholic school I attended in Austria. When I last visited a year ago, I was able to buy these suckers in the frozen food section of the supermarket and made them at home with my cousin. The two plates fed 10 of us.