I've driven up and down Geary Street in San Francisco hundreds of times, but it wasn't until last weekend that Seth and I took the time to experience it on foot. After all, as many foodspotters know, there's no better way to get to know a neighborhood than by spotting your way through it. While there were many foods I'd never seen before, what really caught my eye as a so-called "Dumpling Expert" was how many kinds of dumpings I never even knew existed! I sampled pelmeni, which reminded me of mandu (Korean dumplings), and khinkali, which reminded me of Chinese xiao long bao except thicker. After enjoying these flavor-filled bursts of goodness, I set out to learn more about the "pocket-style" dumplings of the world beyond potstickers and pierogies...
5. PELMENI (Russia)
Tiny dumplings with a thinner skin than vareniki or pierogis, often made with mixed meat fillings and served with butter, although other sauces like mustard and vinegar are used sometimes too. According to Wikipedia, in modern Russia, bags of ready-made pelmeni have come to be seen as a student or bachelor food like instant ramen.
Thick Korean dumplings of Mongolian origin that seem to be more closely related to buuz and pelmeni than gyoza or potstickers as they're often ring-shaped or small and pinched, though some variations are more similar to jiaozi.
The crescent-shaped Chinese dumplings that most Americans best know as "potstickers" (though this only refers to a certain style of pan-fried jiaozi called "guotie"), generally filled with meat and served with a soy-vinegar sauce. They can be both steamed and fried, small and thick and larger and thinner. Not to be confused with wontons (thinner, more tender dumplings often served in soup or in chili oil), gao (Cantonese-style dumplings commonly served in dim sum) and bao (buns, including xiao long bao).
The Japanese version of jiaozi, most commonly served pan-fried. They tend to be thinner-skinned and more garlic-flavored than Chinese dumplings, and are served with a soy-vinegar sauce. I like them best when they're fried together so they look like one piece.
These are Mongolian or Siberian dumplings traditionally made with mutton and occasionally flavored with fennel and other seasonal herbs. The dough pocket catches the meat juices, so these could be considered to be "soupy" dumplings too. These on the left look uncooked.
These are commonly referred to as Chinese "soup dumplings." However, according to Wikipedia, they're technically considered a bao or bun (that's a whole other post) and not a dumpling because they're produced differently from actual jiaozi/dumplings with their pinched tops.
Georgian dumplings that are filled with seasoned meat and pinched at the top, trapping the meat's juices inside, which form a sort of "soup." Similar to xiao long bao, but with a thicker skin, so much so in fact that, traditionally, the pinched tops are discarded.
Nepalese and Tibetan dumplings filled with various meats, like water buffalo, yak, goat, and lamb that's seasoned with any combination of onions, garlic, ginger and cilantro. It's sometimes served with a pureed tomato sauce. You can find Snickers and Mars Bar Momos in touristy areas.
14. KREPLACH (Israel)
Israeli dumplings filled with ground meat or potatoes, generally boiled and served in chicken soup. Served as part of various Jewish holidays.
Italian dumplings that deserve a mention here. While a bit different in flavor and preparation from the previously mentioned dumplings, these ring-shaped pasta filled with cheese, meat or vegetables and served with sauce or soup, bear a bit of resemblence to uszka and manti.
So there you have it: Foodspotting's 15 Dumplings to Try Before You Die. Any favorites that I'm missing or descriptions that you'd change? How many have you spotted?
(While I love dumplings, this post could not have happened without the wealth of dumpling information found on Wikipedia.)
