I have been wishing to introduce something about Chinese food and also I have been paying attention to collect the data about Chinese food since 2002. However, for the time problem, I have no time to do that yet. It is lucky that I was given an assignment to write an article to teach foreigners to make Jiaozi in my distance English lesson by the Beijing Foreign Language Studies University this week, because it is one of the most important traditional Chinese food in the Chinese New Years' Day and the other festivals. Especially in the North of China. So, I would like to put it on the little web site and hope it will be of some help to you to know Chinese culture.

How to Make Jiaozi

Jiaozi is one of the most important traditional Chinese food. It is consist of minced meat, vegetable or mixed filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together or by crimping. Since jiaozi occurred, the method to make jiaozi has been developed from handwork, half-made to be made by machine.
However, in the area that cereal as main food, people prefer to make jiaozi with handwork still; in the area that rice as main food, people tend to buy the ready jiaozi skin and filling (or making filling in person), then to make jiaozi at homes. Now I would like to show you the second way as the steps below.

Step 1   to prepare the material and tools -- Jiaozi skin, filling, garlic, vinegar, soybean sauce, plates, bows, spoons, a bow of water. Usually, you can buy one or two kinds of filling in the supermarket. You can also buy meat or minced meat and vegetable to make the filling according to your own taste.   

Step 2   to make jiaozi --   take a piece of skin on a hand; put a little spoon of filling on the middle of the skin; dip little water with one finger; attach it on the edge of the skin; then to nip or press the two sides of the edges together and make the jiaozi into the shape you wish.

Step 3   to boil jiaozi ? put some water in a wok and boil it; drop the jiaozi into the water. As soon as the water is boiled again, drop some cold water in it. Do this twice and then fish for the jiaozi out and put it on the plates or in bows.

Step 4   to serve jiaozi ? during the jiaozi in the wok, you can prepare souse. Mince some garlic and put it into some vinegar or soybean sauce. You can also mix the vinegar and soybean sauce together, or you can drop little peanut in it. There is no a strict rule, but rely on your own taste. Then, you can enjoy your jiaozi.


If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirleyz004@yahoo.com.


Shirley
Written on June 12nd, 2008
Edited on June 15th, 2008