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A doughy New Year’s ritual bursting with flavor
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EATING dumplings during the Spring Festival is a centuries-old tradition in China. That’s because dumplings resemble sycee, little nuggets of gold and silver that were used as a form of currency until the 20th century. Thus, eating dumplings is said to be bringing good luck and prosperity in the New Year — and of course, the tasty flavor has helped the dumpling’s popularity, too.
Dumplings make great appetizers and come in all sorts of shapes and flavors. Whether you opt for traditional dumplings, wontons, shaomai or guotie, Shanghai Daily has found the best Hangzhou restaurants to savor the doughy New Year’s delight.
Unlike wontons and dumplings, a shaomai is made with a round piece of dough.
A perfect shaomai should be a little cylinder shape that is taller than it is wide. They are always steamed and never boiled in soup.
In Hangzhou, shaomai are usually stuffed with pork, mushroom, onion, celery and bamboo shoots. Roadside eateries serve shaomai as their main business of the day in the morning, though they are a popular midnight snack option too.
In the city, the most popular shaomai outlets are usually hidden in residential communities and narrow lanes.
Some years ago, a diner posted a picture of Han Shaomai on Weibo, praising its tasty food.
It immediately attracted lots of locals, helping Han Shaomai shoot to fame on the Internet.
Han’s shaomai are stuffed with pork and bamboo shoots, a recipe handed down from the stall owner’s predecessors. Since Han Shaomai’s fame has risen, the owner has hardly been able to keep up with demand.
Where to eat:
Han Shaomai
Address: 51-54 Ding’an Rd, Yongjinmen Residential Community
Guotie is pan-fried dumpling that is a popular street food and appetizer in northern and eastern China. Its fillings are similar to shaomai and wonton, usually containing minced pork, cabbage, scallion and sesame oil.
While the base of the guoties is fried, the upper part is steamed.
The chain Yaobude Gaozu Shengjian operates dozens of branches across Hangzhou. In addition to serve traditional guotie, the menu also features pan-fried buns stuffed with pork. Both are crispy and taste delicious.
Where to eat:
Yaobude Gaozu Shengjian Restaurant
Address: 22-30 Gaoyin St
Tel: (0571) 5613-1260
Though wontons and dumplings are both made of wheat flour, the former is much thinner and less al dente than the latter.
The fillings also vary depending on local tastes, but dumplings are traditionally stuffed with minced pork and cabbage while wontons contain ground bamboo shoots and preserved pickles.
Small wontons are popular for breakfast or brunch, while larger wontons are served as lunch or a light dinner.
Unlike dumplings, which are commonly steamed and served without soup, wontons are always served with broth and a pinch of minced nori or scallion. Though they originated in northern China, wontons are now more popular with diners in southern China.
Zhou Suzhen Traditional Huzhou Wonton might be the most popular wonton eatery in Hangzhou. This wonton joint really proves that the news about good food gets around.If you go there during busy times, be prepared to wait for a seat.
It boasts traditional Huzhou wonton from the city in north Zhejiang Province, characterized by thin dough and ample fillings of a dozen varieties, including meat, celery, cabbage, wild herbs, mushroom, shrimp and ham.
Where to eat:
Zhou Suzhen Traditional Huzhou Wonton
Address: 56 Jietansi Lane
Tel: (0571) 8510-1937
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