Trip Around the Globe, Dumpling Style

Written by Sophie Baron Illustration by Jordan Schechter

Nothing beats biting into a handheld, scrumptiously filled little thing of dough. Whether it be filled with vegetables, seasoned meat, or even cheese, there’s something special about an unsuspecting bite of dough packed with powerful flavors on the inside. And while there may not be a universal term for this type of food, many cultures around the world have their own unique version of this and for our purposes, we’ll just call them dumplings. Let’s take a trip around the world and discover all the goodness that can be hidden inside!

China — Jiaozi

The first type of dumpling that comes to my mind is the Chinese dumpling, Jiaozi. While these found their origin in China, many other eastern Asian countries have their own version of these umami dumplings. All jiaozi are typically formed with a thin, rolledout dough, but fillings can vary from meats such as chicken and pork to seafood and vegetables. The choices don’t end with the filling—preparations include steamed, pan-fried, or even boiled.

South America — Empanada

This flavorful pocket is one of our favorites. Empanadas can be found in an array of Latin cuisine and while its official origin is unclear, many food historians point to Argentina as the creator of the empanada. The term empanada—or bread wrapped—is often a small, hand-held dish that can be fried or baked and is traditionally stuffed with ground meat. Today across the world, you can see chefs are getting creative with empanada stuffings. We’ve even tried buffalo chicken and banana chocolate empanadas at Empanada Mamas in New York City.

This little dumpling doesn’t necessarily get the hype it deserves in America but is one of the foods that Poland is most known for internationally. The base of a pierogi can be made from flour noodle dough or flakier pastry dough. Today, they are known to be stuffed with potatoes and boiled in saltwater but actually, in their original form, pierogies were cited to be stuffed with kidneys, veal fat, greens, and nutmeg! Like other dumplings, pierogi lend themselves to creativity when it comes to fillings and cooking methods. Overall though, they can be eaten and served cold, hot, or even baked. The consistent factor with pierogies is that they are a comfort food for many and reminds people of home and their culture.

Italy — Ravioli

While this type of dumpling may not be the first that comes to mind, it is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Ravioli is a pasta-based dumpling and can be filled with anything from spinach and cheese, beef, or even butternut squash. This timeless traditional Italian dish originated in the 16th century and in northern Italy. They are often filled with pumpkin and almond biscuits! Ravioli can be served in traditional tomato sauce, sage butter, or balsamic glaze.

India — Samosa

The Asian trade market delivered this tasty street snack to India centuries ago. Because India is home to diverse people and cultures, the samosa can be extremely different depending on where in India it is found. One thing always remains consistent, the samosa is flaky, triangle shaped, deep-fried, and deliciously stuffed. Typically, samosas are hearty with minced meat and onions. India is also home to many spices, so you can find delicious flavors such as coriander, pepper, and carraway in most samosas. No matter where you come across samosas you are sure to get a kick out of it.

This is just the beginning of a long list of appetizing stuffed dumplings from around the globe. Other notable mentions include the Jewish blintz, Brazilian coxinhas, and Mexican tamales. While the vessel and stuffing varies widely depending on the native foods and cultural cooking styles, I think we can all agree that there is a dumpling somewhere out there in the world for all to enjoy. The basic idea of a stuffed dough leaves room for endless creativity in the kitchen. So get cooking, and more importantly, get eating!