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Do you know the jiaozi man?
Chinese dumplings are more than tasty--they're a New Year's tradition

by Julie Nostrand

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Andrew Wang's hands fly as he rolls dough into perfectly shaped, flat circles. No one is faster and more consistent at the task of shell rolling than he. In fact, the Pleasanton resident learned to roll the dough used for jiaozi (pronounced Gee-ow-za) or dumplings while he was just a boy in China. Making dumplings was a New Year's tradition in his family.

"I don't remember learning," said Wang of his long-standing talent. "It's just something I've always done."

As was the ritual in Wang's family, all over China, groups gather on the eve of the New Year, sit around the table and make jiaozi until midnight. Once the New Year arrives, the hungry dumpling makers eat the Northern China delicacies.

"It's a great tradition that brings all ages together," explained Wang, the event director of this year's annual Chinese Culture celebration, hosted by the Chinese American Cooperative Council (CACC). "It's not difficult and it's interactive."

In this spirit, the Chinese community added jiaozi making to its annual New Year cultural celebration. This year is the fourth year the local Chinese community will be hosting an event to ring in the New Year. People from all over the Bay Area will attend the festival this Sunday at Amador Valley High School. The Chinese community plans to welcome the Year of the Boar with games, performances, a tradeshow and art display.

But it's the jiaozi making that will set this year's celebration apart. Teams of 10 will gather around the table and follow the age-old dumpling making process. The method for making the treat is easy, but time consuming.

A flour-based dough is first mixed, formed into small balls and rolled into circular shells. Next, stuffing, usually made of a blend of ground pork and vegetables, is placed in the center of the round and the edges are pinched together sealing up the dumpling.

Each dumpling is then dropped into a boiling pot of water and cooked. The final and quickest step in the process is the eating of the dumplings.

"In China, Chinese New Year is like the American Thanksgiving," said Pleasanton resident Amy Liu, who is the public relations director for CACC. "Families travel to be together. But in the U.S., we're often alone, so the community of other Chinese people is our family and we like to be together for the New Year. Making jiaozi together will make it feel more like home."

The tradition dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty between 25 and 220 A.D. According to legend, one New Year, a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing traveled back to his hometown and found his people suffering from an outbreak of typhoid and dying from hunger in freezing, winter conditions.

The doctor concocted a mixture of mutton, spice and special medicine that he wrapped in ear shaped dough. In the end the dumplings not only saved the hungry people, but also healed their frost bitten ears. His success became legendary in China and the tradition of eating dumplings at the New Year became a favorite Chinese culture.

Of course, this isn't the only story of how jiaozi became a New Year tradition. In fact, every family has a different version of the tale about the New Year ritual.

"My grandmother told me that you stuff the jiaozi with the bad feelings from the old year, then gobble them down at midnight so you start the new year fresh," said Liu. "But no one else has heard of that."

CACC, the organization that operates the Pleasanton Chinese Language and Culture School, welcomes the entire community to participate in dumpling making as part of their Culture Day.

"For the Chinese, it's a tradition for people to get together on New Year," said Wei Wei Guo, president of CACC, "It's a time when we can open our doors to the community and show them what we offer."

The community dumpling making is a big part of that invitation to the community. Plans call for 10 tables of 40 people to be rolling, stuffing, pinching and boiling up dumplings from 4 to 5:30 p.m. During that time, teams will be required to master all steps of the process.

Don't think this effort is all fun, games and good eats. It's not. Teams will be competing for bragging rights prizes in several categories.

Of course, all the teams will be looking for a person who can roll dough with the speed and dexterity of Wang. At this point, he's not sure what table will benefit from his rolling services. One thing is for certain, you'll find him somewhere on Sunday with a rolling pin in hand.

Make your own dumplings at the CACC Chinese Culture Day

CACC has an entire afternoon and evening of festivities planned for anyone interested in learning more about the Chinese culture during the 4th Annual Chinese Culture Day. The event kicks off with a Spring Carnival at Amador Valley High School beginning at 3 p.m.Sunday. The afternoon event is free and will include performances by the children of CACC's school, games, a trade show, jiaozi making and a New Year's Banquet.

The afternoon carnival will be followed by an evening of performances by professional entertainers at the Amador Theater. The dancers, singers and other performers take the stage at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $15 to $20.

For more information about the events or to save space at one of the jiaozi tables and attend the banquet, visit CACC's Web site at www.caccusa.org.

Recipe for New Year's Dumplings

Ingredients:

1 small Chinese (Napa) cabbage (about 1.5 pounds)

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 pound of lean, ground pork

1/3 pound of garlic chives, ends trimmed and minced (If you can't find garlic chives, substitute one cup of minced scallions plus one tablespoon of minced garlic)

35-40 round dumpling or gyoza skins

3 quarts of water

Seasonings (mixed together)

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon of rice wine or sake

1 1/2 tablespoons of peeled and minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon of cornstarch for dusting the cookie sheet

Dipping sauce (mixed together)

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

1) Cut off and discard the stem of the cabbage, separate the leaves, then rinse and drain. Stack the leaves in piles and cut into thin slices. Turn and chop finely. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and salt and let sit for 30 minutes. (This will draw water out of the cabbage.) After 30 minutes, squeeze as much water as possible out of the cabbage and drain.

2) Add the pork, garlic chives and seasoning. Combine thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture should be stiff and rather sticky. If it seems too thin, add another teaspoon of cornstarch.

3) Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornstarch. Place one teaspoon of filling in the center of the dumpling skin. Spread a little water along the edges of the skin. Fold the skin over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Using the thumb and index finger of one hand, press the outside edges of the skin together, forming small pleats with on edge. The inside edge of the dumpling should bend with the curve of the half-moon shape. Place the sealed dumplings on the baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the skins are filled.

4) In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, stirring to prevent them from sticking together, and once the water boils again, cook for five minutes. Remove the dumplings with a handled strainer, drain and place in a serving dish. Cook the remaining dumplings. Serve the boiled dumplings with dipping sauce.

--"Moonbeams, Dumplings and Dragon Boats" by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, Children韘 Museum of Boston