Dumplingology

Abacus seeds, or suan pan zi, are Chinese dumplings made from yam or taro. These small, chewy beads are stir-fried with veggies and savory sauces, offering a delightful blend of textures and flavors.

Ella Ada, a sweet Kerala delicacy, features rice parcels filled with fresh coconut and jaggery, steamed in banana leaves. This traditional evening snack, popular during Onam, elevates the flavors of Kozhukattai with its unique banana leaf infusion.

Agnolotti, originating from Piedmont in Northern Italy, is a fresh pasta filled with meats, vegetables, or cheese. This Italian delicacy is a tradition in the scenic Langhe region, known for its delectable, flavorful fillings and artisanal pasta craftsmanship.

Akashiyaki, a specialty of Akashi City, Japan, is a delightful dish. This treat is crafted by blending flour, dust powder, egg, and dashi broth, then baking octopus in the batter. Once cooked to perfection, it's served with a delectable dipping sauce, offering a savory and satisfying culinary experience.

An apple dumpling is a mouthwatering dessert featuring a whole apple enveloped in flaky pastry. These treats are sweetened with sugar, adorned with aromatic cinnamon, and often drizzled with a rich, buttery sauce, creating a warm and comforting dessert perfect for any occasion.

Arancini, a beloved Sicilian street food, are delectable risotto balls stuffed, breaded, and fried to perfection. These Italian treats offer a delightful contrast of textures and flavors, from the crispy exterior to the creamy risotto inside, crowned with a stretchy cheese center. A savory delight in every bite.

Aushak, Afghan dumplings, are a labor of love often reserved for special occasions. These dumplings are filled with leeks, onions, or chives, then served with creamy garlic yogurt and a hearty tomato-based meat or lentil sauce. The process of filling and sealing aushak is a cherished communal activity, making this dish a delightful celebration of togetherness and flavor.

Meat Ball, also known as Ba-wan in Taiwan, is a beloved Taiwanese street food. It's a sweet potato starch bun filled with a tasty mixture of pork, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, offering a delightful blend of textures and flavors.

Baozi, commonly known as "bao," are yeast-leavened filled buns found in various Chinese cuisines. These buns come in a wide array of fillings, including both meat and vegetarian options, and are typically steamed. Baozi is a delicious variation of Northern Chinese mantou, offering a delightful range of flavors and preparations.

Beef Wellington, a classic English dish, features fillet steak coated with luxurious pâté, often including pâté de foie gras, and duxelles, all encased in flaky puff pastry and baked to perfection. Some variations include wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe or Parma ham to preserve moisture and prevent pastry sogginess, resulting in a decadent and flavorful culinary experience.

Blodpalt, known as veripalttu in Finnish and asins pankūkas in Latvian, is a traditional dish with roots in northern Finland and parts of northern Sweden. This hearty dumpling, called "palt," is crafted from barley or rye flour, occasionally mixed with grated raw potatoes. Its unique feature is the addition of blood to the dough, providing extra nutrition.

Borș de burechiușe, a traditional dish in Romanian and Moldovan cuisine, hails from the Moldavia and Bukovina regions. It features burechiușe (or gălușcă), small dough squares resembling ravioli, filled with mushrooms like boletus edulis. Traditionally enjoyed on the last day of fasting during Christmas Eve, this dish holds a special place in holiday celebrations.

Bryndzové halušky, a beloved national dish in Slovakia, combines halušky (potato dough lumps resembling gnocchi) with bryndza (soft sheep cheese). It can be enhanced with cooked bits of smoked pork fat or bacon and garnished with chives or spring onions, creating a flavorful and comforting meal deeply rooted in Slovakian cuisine.

A burrito, originating from Ciudad Juárez and popular in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, is a culinary delight. It features a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape, enclosing an array of savory fillings. Commonly filled with meats like beef, chicken, or pork, burritos also include rice, beans (whole or refried), vegetables, cheese, and condiments like salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, or crema, delivering a flavorful and satisfying meal.

Buuz, a cherished dish in Mongolian and Buryatian cuisine, are steamed dumplings filled with savory meat. Traditionally enjoyed at home during Tsagaan Sar, the Lunar New Year, they've also found their place in restaurants and cafes in Ulaanbaatar. Buuz represents an authentic taste of Mongolia and a festive treat for special occasions.

Bánh bao, a Vietnamese steamed pork bun inspired by Chinese baozi, features a round shape filled with ground pork, hard-boiled eggs, and Chinese sausage. These buns showcase a delicate, light-yeasted dough enveloping the savory pork filling, resulting in a flavorful and satisfying steamed treat.

Banh chưng, a cornerstone of Vietnamese culinary tradition, is a symbolic cake enjoyed year-round but especially during Tet (Lunar New Year) gatherings. Shaped like a square to symbolize the Earth as believed in ancient times, it holds deep cultural significance and is a cherished delicacy during festive celebrations.

Calzones, Italian turnovers, offer a delicious twist on pizza ingredients. They start with a circular pizza dough, filled with various toppings like those found on pizza. After loading one half of the dough with fillings, it's folded over, sealed, brushed with an egg wash or olive oil, then baked to a golden-brown perfection. A delightful Italian treat.

A traditional Venezuelan dish made of a corn dough filled with a mixture of meat stew, vegetables, raisins, capers, almonds, and bacon, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled.

Halušky are a traditional Eastern European dumpling or noodle dish made from grated potatoes and flour, often served with various toppings.

Har Gow is a traditional Cantonese shrimp dumpling that is a popular item at dim sum houses. It is prepared with a filling of coarsely chopped shrimp, a bit of pork fat, and seasonings, wrapped in a translucent wrapper made of wheat starch and tapioca starch.

Hujiao bing is a type of baked bun that originated in the city of Fuzhou, the capital of China's Fujian province. It is a street food that has a flaky biscuit-like bread with a sweet and savory filling made of sugar, soy sauce, white pepper or black pepper, and scallions.

Idli is a South Indian steamed rice cake that is typically eaten for breakfast with sambar (spiced lentil soup) and an assortment of chutneys. It is a staple in South Indian households and is a palm-sized steamed rice cake with fermented urad dal (de-husked split black lentil)

Idrijski žlikrofi are traditional Slovenian dumplings that originate from Idrija. They are made from dough with potato filling and are often served either as a side dish to meat or on their own, in which case they are topped with breadcrumbs. The recipe dates back to the mid 19th century and remains one of the most popular Slovenian dishes

A Jamaican patty is a semicircular pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside a flaky shell, often tinted golden yellow with an egg yolk. The most popular filling is beef, but other fillings such as chicken, shrimp, vegetables, cheese, and pork are also used.

Jau Gok is a sweet fried dumpling that is a staple dish for Chinese New Year. It is filled with coconut, peanuts, sesame, and a bit of sugar

Jiaozi is a Chinese dish consisting of a filling wrapped in a thin dough wrapper. The filling can be made with a variety of ingredients, including meat, vegetables, and seafood. Jiaozi can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried.

Joshpara is a small boiled dumpling dish that is popular in Central Asia and the Middle East. It is made with dough filled with seasoned ground meat and cooked in yogurt sauce

Kalduny are small dumplings that come with a variety of fillings such as meat, curd cheese, diced mushroom, or fresh berries. They are served with a sauce or topping that depends on the stuffing. Kalduny may be served as a main course or a dessert, depending on the stuffing.

Kenkey is a staple swallow food similar to sourdough dumplings from the Ga and Fante-inhabited regions of West Africa.
It is produced by steeping grains of maize in water for about one week, before they are then milled and kneaded with water into a dough. The dough is allowed to ferment for four days to a week before part of the dough is cooked

Khinkali are Georgian dumplings that are meat-filled and have a brothy filling due to the juices that the raw ground meat produces when cooked. The dough is thicker than Chinese soup dumplings and they are boiled, instead of steamed.

Khuushuur is a large, fried meat dumpling or pastry that is popular across Mongolia. It is wrapped in a golden pastry with a steaming meat inside, making it a perfect comfort food for those bitterly cold Mongolian winters. It is often eaten out of hand and is a great picnic or traveling food

Kibbeh is a Levantine dish made with bulgur wheat, onions, and ground meat, typically lamb or beef. It can be served raw, baked, grilled, or deep-fried.

Kluski is a Polish word that means “dumplings” or “noodles.” Kluski noodles are similar to egg noodles, and in recipes can be interchangeable. They are typically made of flour, egg, and water mixture without any kneading

3 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled, mashed, cooled 2 large eggs, beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 16 damson plums, pitted 16 sugar cubes 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter 1/4 cup breadcrumbs Confectioners' sugar, for optional garnish Ground cinnamon, for optional garnish

Knedle is a type of potato dumpling filled with plums or strawberries. The dumplings are boiled and then served with breadcrumbs and sour cream.

Knish is an Ashkenazi Polish snack food consisting of a filling covered with dough. It is similar to a British pasty, Spanish empanada, Russian pirozhki, and an Italian calzone

Knoephla is a German dumpling that is often used in soup. It is a dense and chewy dumpling that is made from flour, potatoes, and cream.

Knödel are large, round poached or boiled potato or bread dumplings, made without yeast. They are a traditional German dish that is often served as a side dish or as a main course with gravy.

Kopytka is a potato dumpling dish that is common in Polish, Belarusian, and Lithuanian cuisine. It is similar to Italian gnocchi.

Kozhukkattai or Kolukattai is a South Indian sweet or snack made with rice flour dough and stuffed with a filling of coconut and jaggery or moong dal

Kreplach are small dumplings filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes, or another filling, usually boiled and served in chicken soup, though they may also be served fried. The dough is traditionally made of flour, water, and eggs, kneaded and rolled out thin.

Kroppkakor is a Swedish potato dumpling that is a big favorite in Sweden. It is a traditional dish that is usually served with butter and lingonberries.

Kudumulu are steamed rice balls made of rice flour or rava. There are two different versions of making these - sweet and savory (salted). They are mildly spiced rice and lentil dumplings that make for a delicious breakfast or a snack between meals.

Kueh tutu is a small steamed cake made of finely pounded rice flour with a ground peanuts or grated coconut filling. It is soft, fluffy, and has a slightly sweet taste.

A Maritime Southeast Asian dumpling made from glutinous rice flour and stuffed with coconut fillings with palm sugar. It is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Liver dumplings are a traditional Bavarian dish served in a hot broth or soup. They are made from ground liver, bacon, onions, and bread crumbs, and are seasoned with salt, pepper, and marjoram. They have a unique and well-tasting flavor, and are usually made with veal liver

Lo Mai Gai is a classic Cantonese dim sum dish featuring steamed glutinous sticky rice with pieces of chicken and mushrooms wrapped in lotus leaf.

Lukhmi is a savory appetizer or snack similar to a samosa, but made with meat and shaped into a flat, rectangular shape. The pastry is usually made with a combination of flour, ghee, and yogurt, while the filling typically consists of ground lamb, cumin, ginger, chili powder, garlic, oil, coriander, hot peppers, lemon juice, and salt. Once assembled, the lukhmi is deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown and served hot with cilantro mint chutney for dipping.

Madombi is a type of steamed dumpling from Botswana, usually eaten with stew. The dumplings are large and can easily serve up to 16 when cut in half.