>> Chinese Food Culture

Real Chinese Food: Breakfast (3)

8. Dumplings

Dumplings are very traditional Chinese food. There are several types of dumpling and each has different name in Chinese. But after translation, all are called dumpling, which is bit confusing. Here I just show three types that we have in Hunan.

The first type, also most seen in the western country, is called Jiao Zi (饺子) in Chinese. It is made by using a thin dough skin to wrap mince meat or vegetables. They can be boiled, steamed or fried.

We make dumplings in home during the festivals or when there are guests visiting. Here are the boiled dumplings we made in home.

For breakfast, dumplings are always available from the market. These are the steamed dumplings in the supermarket.

These are the fried dumplings in the supermarket.

Second type of dumpling is called Shao Mai (烧卖), glutinous rice wrapped by thin dough skins. They are usually cooked by steaming, seasoned with salt and pepper.

The third type dumpling is called Zongzi （粽子）, sometime it is also translated as rice dumpling. It is made by glutinous rice wrapped by bamboo leaves, particularly popular during Chinese Duanwu Festival.

Also Rice Dumpling (Zongzi) for Duanwu Festival.

If you ever tried Dim Sum in your local Chinese restaurants, you may see one dish similar like Zongzi, but is bigger, stuffed with meat and wrapped in lotus leave, which is called glutinous rice leave (糯米鸡 ).

Dim Sum is Guangdong style cuisine, which is not commonly seen as family food in Hunan, but still available from the supermarket and Guangdong food restaurants.

9. Flat bread or stuffed pie

There are also foods like flat bread or food similar like pie for the breakfast, but I am not sure how to call them in English. This is how they look.