William Mason High School
Food Memoir: Dumplings, Party of Two
I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.
Signed: Grace Huang
Grace Huang
Ms. Wilson
AP Literature and Composition
21 January 2016
Grace Huang
Ms. Nichole Wilson
AP English Literature & Composition
19 January 2016
Dumplings, Party of Two
“We constantly use food to express not only who we are but also who we wish to be, asserting our membership in certain groups and distancing ourselves from others,” (Twiss 1) according to Katheryn Twiss. Not to usurp Twiss’s authority, but a teenager like myself could definitely give a few tips about how to distance themselves from certain groups (aka my parents).
It is a typical Saturday afternoon. I lay sprawled on my bed where I have created a semicircle of chaos around me. My homework is softly calling my name, but my attention is broken by a figure in the doorway.
“I’m leaving for my dumpling making party. Are you sure you don’t want to come?” my mother asks in Chinese.
“Can’t. Too busy.” is my swift reply in English.
She nods in affirmation, already knowing my answer before I give it. My mother and I have repeated this scene a dozen times. It always plays out the same way.
The next Monday, as my classmates and I are regaling each other with tales of our weekend adventures, my friend tells an amusing story of how she recently tried to make homemade dumplings but failed to seal the meaty filling inside the dough. I can’t help but giggle although I reassure her that learning to fold dumplings is a skill acquired with practice. My mother had taught me just as her mother had taught her just as I offered to teach my friend.
We set out to have our own dumpling making party the following weekend even inviting a few other friends. My clumsy fingers were unable to roll the dumpling shells from pieces of dough as nimbly as my mother could, so we problem solved by buying pre-packaged wonton wrappers from Kroger. The environment was lively and the laughter contagious as we prepared the meaty filling by blending the ground beef with the chopped vegetables seasoned with garlic and ginger. My friends gathered close as I taught them the secret of how to perfectly seal the meat within the dough to make the pale crescent shaped dumplings. One by one we dropped our carefully made dumplings into the pan, cracking a proud smile when we heard the sizzle sound as the doughy skin made contact with the oil. It is then that I decide to reveal my secret: I dislike the meaty insides so I only eat the shell.
My weird way of eating dumplings was a bold move of defiance as a toddler that eventually became a peculiar habit of mine as I grew older. My parents never cease to tease me about my weird aversion to dumpling meat, seeing it as just another manifestation of my “Americaness”; however I am not the first Chinese-American to eat dumplings in a peculiar way. According to Lily Wong who eats her dumplings with ketchup, “Eating dumplings in my own style has become the hyphen between Chinese and American in my identity.” (Wong 1) Indeed, my dumpling party with my friends was just one more example of my cross cultural upbringing. I thought I was simply introducing my American friends to a small piece of my heritage, but little did I know, “From Italian ravioli, to Polish piroshky, to Chinese pot stickers, the humble dumpling is beloved by eaters around the world.” (Butler 1) Dumplings were multicultural before I even dreamed of having a dumpling party! What started as a way to stretch small amounts of meat, became a global sensation that originated independently in many cuisines around the world.
The small size of dumplings, or jiaozi as they are known in China, make them the ideal finger food to cook and consume in large amounts with friends and family. Not only are they the perfect food for sharing, preparing dumplings together creates a sense of community I didn’t know was possible. “The techniques utilized to prepare and process foods and the ways of serving and consuming it...can have an important influence on social and familial relationships.” (Claxton 1). At my mother’s jiaozi parties each dumpling is folded with great care to make sure that none of the precious pork spills out, a reminder of harder times when meat was a prized possession. Finally, when the last dumpling is cooked, the families are called over (children first of course) and each person serves themselves, a common practice in Chinese dining.
It may have taken me a while, but now I can finally understand my mother just a little bit better. Through our common experience, I finally get it, why my mom is always going to dumplings parties. It’s a place where friends join together in common pursuit of a single goal: to prepare endless amounts of food for loved ones. In the spirit of mother daughter bonding, I may just join her next time.
My Mother’s Dumpling Recipe
Ingredients:
For meat:
· 8 stalks of celery
· ½ a small ginger root
· 1 stalk of green onion
· ½ pound ground pork
· 2 tablespoons soy sauce
· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon salt
For dough:
· 2 cups flour
· 1 cup water
Instructions:
1. Combine water and flour to make the dough
2. Knead dough as appropriate
3. Allow dough to rest for an hour
4. Chop celery, ginger root, and green onion into fine pieces
5. Put celery bits in food processor to allow for smaller pieces
6. Stir ginger and green onion into the ground pork
7. Add soy sauce, salt, and both types of oil to the pork mixture
8. Stir celery into meat mixture
9. Continue to stir until everything is evenly combined
10. Roll dough into circles about the size of your palm
11. Put half a spoon of meat filling inside dough and fold as video instructs
12. Heat oil in a pan
13. Place dumplings in pan
14. Add ¼ cup water to pan and close lid
15. Allow dumplings to cook for 7-10 minutes
16. Enjoy!
Works Cited
Butler28, Stephanie. "Delightful, Delicious Dumplings." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
Claxton, Mervyn. Culture, Food, and Identity. N.p., 2008. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
"Jiaozi: A Hyphen of Identity?" Jiaozi 饺子. Omeka, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.
Twiss, Kathryn C. We Are What We Eat. The Archaeology of Food and Identity. Southern Illinois University, 2007. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.