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However, not all dumplings are the same, informed by the wheat of northern China and the rice of the south.
Northern jiaozi
James Ashbridge, an Australian who spent years in Beijing, fondly recalls his first tasting of jiaozi, the dumplings synonymous with northern Chinese cuisine.
James Ashbridge in Shanghai Source: Facebook / James Ashbridge
“I was studying Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University, and a Beijing local friend invited me to his home for the New Year. (It’s) a wonderful memory,” he said.
In northern China, jiaozi is a must-have on the Lunar New Year table. Making jiaozi together symbolises family reunion and hopeful aspirations for the year ahead.
Assembling ‘jiaozi’, the preferred dumpling in northern China. Source: iStockphoto / xijian/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Leo Li, a Chinese-Australian chef from Harbin who specialises in French cuisine, insists that all dumplings are jiaozi.
I feel like Westerners often categorise all stuffed dough foods as ‘dumplings’, but to me, dumplings mean jiaozi.
Leo Li, chef
“We probably started preparing everything the day before, frying food and getting the ingredients ready,” he said.
Jiaozi. Source: Getty / The Good Brigade/Getty Images
Northern jiaozi are made with wheat flour, requiring a dough that’s stiff yet chewy.
“In Australia, we always eat jiaozi with soy sauce, but in China, they use vinegar. They never understand why foreigners prefer soy sauce — it’s too salty, they say. I’ve tried vinegar, and it’s good, but I still prefer soy sauce,” he said.
Ashbridge said he had learned about traditions surrounding jiaozi while celebrating the Spring Festival with his Beijing friend: Some families put a coin inside one jiaozi, and the person who finds it is believed to be blessed with good luck for the year.
Jiaozi, the dumplings of northern China. Source: SBS / SBS Hashela Kumarawansa
Southern tangyuan
Today, her family still makes jiaozi using northern methods. She also mentions another type of dumpling commonly eaten by people in southern China during the Spring Festival: tangyuan.
In my childhood memory, Shanghai tangyuan was special because if the filling was sweet, it was round, and if savoury, it had a little pointed tip. The shape told you what to expect.
Helen Lewis
Additionally, local favourites like shengjianbao and xiaolongbao share similarities with dumplings but boast unique characteristics.
Wontons (left), shengjianbao (right) and xiaolongbao (top). Credit: Neil Li, Helen Lewis and Sandra Fulloon
For Tiffany Yu, a native of Fujian, rouyan is the dumpling that embodies the taste of home for her.
The process of making rouyan skins is labour-intensive, with some recipes requiring the dough to be hammered thousands of times.
Rouyan from Fujian. Credit: Tiffany Yu
Elaine Shi, a volunteer at the Sydney Olympic Peninsula Multicultural Community Association, is already preparing for the 2025 Lunar New Year. The association will host its annual jiaozi-making event, focusing this year on perfecting their skins.
“We’ll share the cultural origins of jiaozi, why they’re eaten during festivals, how to make the dough, mix fillings, and wrap (them),” she said.
Jiaozi-making event at the Sydney Olympic Peninsula Multicultural Community Association. Credit: Elaine Shi
“Especially during the Spring Festival, the atmosphere of making jiaozi together with the family makes people feel a stronger sense of home and belonging, especially living in Australia,” Shi said.
