Mommy, Where Do Dumplings Come From?

By INESA PLESKACHEUSKAYA

I feel certain that in one of my mom's past lives she was Chinese and had her own restaurant. You could not tell this by looking at her of course, but her passion for cooking is proof enough for me. This is further endorsed by the magnitude of dumplings in our house. Whenever I come home the refrigerator is loaded with mom's homemade dumplings or their Slavonic cousins, known as vareniks. When I visited Beijing for the first time in October 1999 I was astonished when told that dumplings originated not in Siberia as most Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians believe, but in China! Jiaozi (the local name for dumplings) were popular in the Middle Kingdom as long as 1,700 years ago.

When I tell my Chinese and other foreign friends that I have always thought of dumplings as a Russian national dish, they raise their eyebrows in surprise and ask: "Really?" and rapidly going on to the next question: "Can you make them?" I have to answer honestly that I am good on theory, but my mom...

But my dear mom, maker of supreme dumplings, has no idea that some of Beijing's restaurants serve jiaozi with 130 different fillings, flavored with up to 200 spices. The most popular filling in Beijing jiaozi is pork and vegetable or herbs -- onions, cabbage, carrots, coriander, chives and many more. Foreigners not accustomed to dumplings prefer the steamed buns known as baozi, a kind of hybrid popular in the North made from steamed bread and meat filling.

The Southern version of jiaozi, called wonton or huntun, are tiny dumplings with egg and tofu fillings served in a rich broth. Some people insist that the name of this dish comes from the word hundun meaning cosmic chaos, and that putting dumplings in soup is like putting the universe in order. Cuisine named in cosmic metaphors indicates how seriously its host country takes food.

Dumplings in China symbolize unity, harmony and balance, which is why they are a must dish at Lunar New Year. This symbolism derives from the process of preparation, as all family members generally participate in "wrapping" jiaozi. This turns an every day meal into a joyful and festive event. Its shape is also significant. Dumplings at Lunar New Year are crescent- or ancient Chinese money-shaped, inviting prosperity and wealth in the coming New Year. The name jiaozi is actually derived from that of the first paper money ever printed.

At the mention of "rice" people all over the world automatically think of China, but it is the staple food of South China, not the whole country. Northern cuisine takes cereals as its staple, the main pillars of which are, as mentioned, dumplings and spring rolls -- tiny pancakes made of crispy dough with various fillings. But the main jewel in the crown of Northern cuisine is without doubt Peking duck.

This famous roasted duck was created by a Mr. Yang, purveyor of fatty birds, who upon deciding to change his occupation in 1864 opened the now famous Quanjude Restaurant. He invited the best chefs from Shandong Province, famous for its refined dishes, sent out spies to steal the secrets of imperial cuisine and invented his own duck roasting technique. Initially the dish comprised the bird's crispy skin, served with shallots and special sauce wrapped in a small pancake. All the duck's other parts were used in dishes ranging from stew to soup. Duck's tongue and brains were (and still are) regarded as a delicacy.

During the 19th century foreign diplomats in Beijing tried this dish known as Peking duck, and it thereafter became hailed and sought after the world over. When George Bush senior, former president and father of the current president, worked in Beijing as leader of the Office for Communications with USA (at that time there were no diplomatic relations between the USA and China so neither country had the other's embassy) he developed a passion for the dish. Even today Bushes pere et fils visit an American Chinese restaurant that serves Peking duck at least once a month.

Anyone familiar with Chinese history is unsurprised by the strong Mongolian influence on Northern cuisine. The two most famous dishes -- Mongolian barbeque and Mongolian hotpot -- were originally soldiers' fare cooked over campfires. Meat with vegetables was fried on shields (barbeque origins?), and in some cases meat and vegetables were boiled together in a helmet -- the birth of hotpot.

Hotpot is a great dish for keeping warm during the cold winter days. It is cooked in a copper over an open fire. Diners throw paper-thin slices of mutton, vegetables, noodles and tofu into a boiling sauce, which hotpot aficionados swear is crucial to overall enjoyment of the dish. Thick and richly flavored, it is a mixture of sesame paste, garlic, Chinese chives, red tofu, fish seasoning and Mongolian spices.

Old-time hotpot ingredients were various -- from beef and rabbit ears, to fish heads, to black pudding. Today's hotpot is a sinicized version and demonstrates the essentially Chinese desire for balanced servings of meat and vegetables.

But you can never truly know Northern cuisine until you try the snacks sold on Beijing's streets. Known as dian xin, a term believed to originate in the classical literary expression diancai suixin --- "choose dishes according to the dictates of your heart." In ancient times the most famous confectionery came from Hangzhou and Chang'an (today's Xi'an) and the first person in Beijing to develop a passion for it was Empress Dowager Ci Xi. Shortly after the court and commoners alike followed her lead.

These snacks come in a great variety. There are, for example, ai wowo -- tiny balls made of glutinous rice dough with a red spot on top and various fillings; wan dou huang - small pastry squares made of pea dough, a particular favorite of Ci Xi; qie gao - puff pie made of glutinous rice and red soya paste, to name but three. If you are walking along the Beijing streets with a child you are unlikely to avoid buying a tang hulu -- different fruits or big hawthorn berries speared on a stick and covered with caramelized sugar. My personal favorite street food is jian bing, a tasty and filling snack, cooked before your eyes so freshness is guaranteed. Liquid dough is poured on to a circular broiler, spread evenly with a spatula, and an egg or two (according to taste) beaten in. The mixture is then sprinkled with greens, smeared with various sauces and another crispy pancake made of maize dough placed at its center. It is then folded in four and wrapped in thick brown paper. Armed with this mighty jian bing you are equal to all winter weather - even in Siberia!

INESA PLESKACHEUSKAYA is the Beijing bureau chief of the Belorussian national newspaper Belarus Today and the National TV channel ONT.