Cooking gurus never cease to amaze us with their imagination.
Cooking techniques are continually updated with novelties, and restaurant menus are expanding and enriching with outlandish names. Seeing transparent dumplings, liquid bread, hot ice or hard borscht in the list of dishes, do not be alarmed.

It just means you've come to a molecular cuisine restaurant...

The chef here is both a chemist and a physicist, and his dishes break traditional ideas about food. Let's get to know molecular cuisine better!

You can't forbid to eat beautifully

Molecular cuisine is a true deception of the senses. They may bring you a plate and ask you to wait until the waiters bring ... the smell. It sounds ridiculous, but it's actually reality.

Molecular cuisine is not known to everyone. Most ordinary people believe that this is harmful and it is not worth trying such things. In fact, molecular cuisine dishes are dietary and unusual in taste. And the serving of such food and the process of tasting it is a real enchanting show.

Who first decided to try to combine science and cooking? Molecular cuisine appeared in the 80s of the last century. An English physicist named Nicholas Courti said that people pay too little attention to their gastronomic addictions. According to him, it is easier for us to measure the temperature of the atmosphere of the planet Venus than to realize what processes are taking place in the souffle that is on our table.

After his retirement, he tried to systematize data on physical and chemical properties products. The term "molecular gastronomy" was introduced by Nicolas Courti together with his follower, the French chemist Herve Thies.

To date, the most famous chefs in the world who prepare molecular dishes, or, as it is also called, modern kitchen– are Heston Blumenthal from The Fat Duck restaurant, Ferran Adria from El Bulli, Spain, Michel Bras from Michel Bras restaurant in France, Frenchman Pierre Gagnaire from Pierre Gagnaire and Anatoly Komm from the Russian restaurant Varvara .

From conventional products they create masterpieces akin to the paintings of Salvador Dali and Van Gogh. Cooking geniuses are real alchemists who have tamed the laws of physics and chemistry.

They dispute the correctness of the term "molecular cuisine", but it has become a gourmet hit and has been accepted with a bang in the world of gastronomy.

Art is a matter of technology

"Modernist cuisine", which is what molecular cuisine is also called, requires certain skills in working with products and the availability of special devices. The most popular techniques used by celebrity chefs today are:

1. Freezing

The essence of the technique is the processing of products with liquid nitrogen. The temperature of this substance is minus 196 degrees Celsius. This makes it possible to instantly freeze a product of any consistency. In addition, liquid nitrogen evaporates instantly, so you can make ice from any sauce, cream or juice right in front of restaurant visitors, which is what many restaurateurs practice in their establishments.

Agnès Marshal was the first to use liquid nitrogen to make ice cream back in 1877. Of his contemporaries, this method of processing products for his menu was introduced by Blumenthal.

Freezing with liquid nitrogen, firstly, saves a lot of time (ice cream, for example, can be cooled to the required temperature in just a few seconds). Secondly, it makes it possible to fully preserve all the properties of products, their color, humidity, vitamin composition.

2. Emulsification

The most delicate foam from fruit or vegetable juice This is taste in its purest form. For the first time, such a technique was introduced in his own restaurant by Ferran Adria, but the basics of cooking espum were known as early as the 17th century.

It is now difficult to surprise with foams from fruits, vegetables and drinks, culinary gurus have gone further. Espuma are made from different types meat, mushrooms, cocoa and coffee. It turns out a light weightless sauce. An example is Anatoly Komm's dish. The most delicate mousse from Borodino bread with unrefined butter and salt is able to win the heart of any gourmet. Magic, nothing else!

Create an espum effect with an additive - soy lecithin which is extracted from soybean oil(pre-filtered). It is used for the preparation of glaze, chocolate products, water-oil and air-water emulsions.

3. Vacuumization

The sous-vide vacuum cooking technique is an advanced process of cooking food in a water bath. The ingredients are closed in special vacuum bags, in which they are then cooked at a temperature of about 60 degrees Celsius for many hours and sometimes even days. Meat products, prepared in this way, remain juicy and tender, as well as insanely fragrant. It is good to marinate meat, fruits and vegetables in a vacuum way.

4. Gelatinization

Jelly can also be made at home, usually from a bag or using gelatin. What's the catch? Molecular gelatinization is the art of creating ordinary, seemingly at first glance, dishes from unusual products. Mango-flavored egg, arugula spaghetti, honey caviar - such delicacies on a plate will pleasantly surprise you.

Achieve the effect of gelatinization with the help of such additives:
agar-agar– natural thickener based on seaweed, very stable, dietary;
carrageenan- another algae-based thickener, gives the substance a viscosity or jelly-like structure.

5. Spherization

One of the most spectacular molecular cuisine techniques introduced to the public by Ferran Adria. sodium alginate when diluted in a liquid becomes a thickener, on contact with calcium lactate acts as a gelling agent. It is in this way that artificial caviar is created with any taste. Imagine a liquid enclosed in the thinnest shell. Trying it is a pleasure. It turns out such an unexpected explosion of taste.

Another way to create an interesting effect when serving a molecular meal is to use dry ice, which is essentially frozen carbon dioxide. If you pour it with a special fragrant substance mixed with water, a very bright smell is released, which brings the taste sensation to a completely different level. Sleight of hand and no fraud, but the trick is very effective.

Assistants in the molecular kitchen

Chefs also have special kitchen gadgets in their arsenal that help separate the wheat from the chaff, as they say. For example, a rotary evaporator helps to make a concentrate from any liquid, which is then used to create gels and spheres, and a centrifuge helps to separate any product into several components that are used for cooking ( tomato juice thus turns into a thick tomato paste, pale yellow juice and strong flavored fats).

Those who want to try to arrange an experimental molecular kitchen at home can purchase a starter kit for a novice cook. It costs $125, includes 5 molecular additives in jars, a syringe, flexible spaghetti tubes and a few other necessary gizmos.

A siphon for mousses and foams costs 4,500 rubles, a set for cocktails - 3,500 rubles, liquid nitrogen - about 1,000 rubles / 10 liters, dry ice - 1,500 rubles per kilogram.

Compilation of simple molecular dishes

Experts note that it is impossible to cook a full-fledged restaurant dish at home. In any case, a non-professional will not be able to give it that taste that a real master chef can easily handle. However, without delving into the culinary technology of the future, but knowing the basic concepts of molecular cuisine, you can try to create something unusual and surprise your loved one or friends with a new dish.

molecular egg
Unusually, you can cook an egg yourself in the usual way- putting it in the oven for 2 hours at a temperature of exactly 64 degrees. In terms of texture, it turns out to be completely different, in contrast to the one that is cooked on the stove - more tender and softer.

Molecular tomato soup
Pour 350 ml into a saucepan. lean chicken broth, add vegetables cut into circles: 1 carrot, half a stalk of a leek, 6 cherry tomatoes. Season with basil, parsley, green onions, salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze two or three cloves of garlic into the broth. Add 2 tablespoons thick tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cook over low heat for another 20 minutes.

Puree with a blender and strain through cheesecloth. Add one sachet of agar-agar to the prepared vegetable liquid. Return to heat, stir and bring to a boil. Pour into molds and refrigerate until completely set.

Fur coat roll
Beat beet juice and beet pulp in a blender, strain through cheesecloth. Pour the liquid into a saucepan, add one sachet of agar-agar to it, bring it all to a boil and remove from the stove. Pour beetroot juice with a thickener into a thin layer on a tray with cling film. After cooling, grated boiled vegetables - potatoes and carrots, as well as a strip of herring are laid out on ready-made gelled sheets. Cut the finished roll with a sharp knife.

In this way, any salad can be made in the form of rolls - for example, from a carrot "film" to decorate the beloved "Mimosa" by many.

Mango under coconut snow
Cut mango into thin slices. Gently pour liquid nitrogen into the finished coconut cream and mix. Put the mango slices on a flower-shaped plate, sprinkle with cold "snow".

Raspberry ravioli
Add one sachet of sodium alginate to 475 grams of water, stir until it is completely dissolved. Leave for 15 minutes. Blend 1.5-2 cups of fresh raspberries in a blender with one tablespoon of sugar and half a teaspoon of calcium lactate. Dip the raspberry mousse with a spoon into the solution, leave for three minutes. Rinse in water and make a beautiful presentation.

Caviar from orange juice
Strain the juice of one orange. Add one teaspoon of algin. Mix with a blender or whisk. Add a teaspoon of calcium chloride to a glass of water to make it more rigid. Pour juice with algin into a syringe and drop by drop into a glass of water. To remove the bitterness of calcium chlorine, caviar must be washed in cold water.

strawberry spaghetti
To translate this recipe into reality, you will need 400 grams of strawberry puree, 25 grams of strawberry syrup (thick), 75 grams sugar syrup, 25 grams of gelling agent.

Mix all the ingredients and heat strongly, not allowing the boil. Draw hot liquid into a syringe, attach a flexible silicone tube to the syringe, lowered into cold water. After cooling, ready-made spaghetti is squeezed onto a plate and decorated with fruits to taste or sour cream and sugar foam.

Spaghetti according to this principle can be made from the same tomato soup or arugula smashed in a blender with water - from any vegetable or fruit.

Chemistry in the kitchen: is it useful?

White rum mousse with foamy raspberry sauce, spinach jelly soup, floating dessert, shrimp carpaccio in three flavors – sounds and looks beautiful...

But are these foods safe? Do you want to order in a restaurant or try to cook at home something that contains "sodium alginate", "calcium chloride" or "maltodexins"?

Molecular cuisine - not molecular chemistry. Additives from sachets affect the consistency of the ingredients rather than the taste of the dish or its nutritional value. Sodium alginate is used in Food Industry for the preparation of mayonnaises and sauces, maltodexins - in baby food, calcium chloride - for the production of cheese. These additives are approved, they do not bring irreparable harm to the body.

Of course, molecular cuisine is not a delicacy for every day, this can be seen both in the price of dishes and in the complexity of their preparation. But this gastronomic miracle is definitely worth a try.

By and large, any culinary process can be considered a kind of molecular cuisine. So cooking in the morning semolina know that you deserve the title of a real chef. And if you add at least a little love to each dish, it will automatically turn into a masterpiece!

One of the favorite dishes of foreigners oriental cuisine – Chinese dumplings. They are somewhat similar to those familiar to us, but some differences in the recipe make this dish moderately exotic and interesting for almost everyone who has tried it.

So, the peculiarity of minced meat for Chinese dumplings is that chefs mix pork, beef, lamb, poultry, shrimp with chopped vegetables. From vegetables, Chinese cabbage, leeks or onions, spinach, mushrooms are used.

So, if you want to try cooking this is not very laborious, but tasty and holiday dish, - forward!

We offer an approximate list of products that can be easily varied:

Meat is chopped finely it is better not to use a meat grinder. Peel the ginger and also finely chop. Chop the onion (one and the other) with a knife, do the same with mushrooms, spinach and all other ingredients of the dough. Meat should be about the same as vegetables. This gives the dumplings a special juiciness and aroma.

Seasoning for Chinese dumplings is added to the minced meat and salted, but carefully - minced meat should be slightly undersalted. The fact is that traditionally these dumplings are served with spicy sauces, where rice vinegar, soy sauce are mixed, pepper, sesame oil, ginger and other ingredients are added to taste.

The dough is made from flour and starch (starch is about ¼ of the amount of flour or a little more), cold water and an egg. Starch allows you to roll it thinner and makes the dough transparent. They make Chinese dumplings a little differently than we are used to. After kneading, the dough needs to rest a little, then it is rolled into long bundles, which are then cut into portioned balls. These balls are rolled with a rolling pin into slightly elongated "pancakes". The stuffing in Chinese dumplings is not very generous, so that they do not tear during the cooking process due to the abundance of juice.

The shape of the dumpling is given in this way. The filling is placed in the center of the oval pancake, then the dough is folded in half, like on a dumpling we are used to, but they are pinched with both hands on both sides at once and, as it were, the place of gluing is attached to the center, thus, something is obtained between a dumpling and a manti.

This is what the “correct” Chinese dumpling looks like!

Chinese dumplings are boiled in a large amount of fresh water (the dough is also not salted!), Stirring gently with a slotted spoon so that they do not stick to each other and to the bottom.

Served hot with various sauces.

In fact, there are a lot of types of Chinese dumplings, and there are even more fillings for them. I think everyone knows that in terms of cuisine, the Chinese are very big dreamers. Therefore, it is simply not possible to cover all types. Today I will first briefly talk about the main types of Chinese dumplings, since if you undertake to search for their recipes online by name, then on the first pages of the same Yandex there will be a lot of inaccurate information. And then I’ll show you how you can cook one of the most widespread types of dumplings at home, and in a variation that will be acceptable to you and me.

What are Chinese dumplings called?

To begin with, it should be noted that they can be divided into two categories: those that are boiled in water, and those that are steamed. True, some of them can be cooked this way and that. Separately, I would not single out fried ones, since this is a subspecies of the first two.

Jiaozi- it's dumplings various fillings, the shape of which is identical to our dumplings. They are always boiled in water and then called shuijiao, and sometimes after cooking they are fried in oil in a pan and then they are already renamed jianjiao. The listings are endless. It will be meat, vegetables, and seafood (for example, small shrimp), and even a mixture of these three ingredients, which translates as “three freshnesses”.

Baozi- these are steam dumplings, the closest relatives of the Buryat poses (or buuz). Their dough is thick and fluffy. They are steamed in wooden wicker baskets.

Xiaolongbao- a kind of baozi. By appearance and the method of modeling are similar to Georgian khinkali, but steamed. Unlike baozi, their dough is thin dumplings.

Shaomai in shape they resemble a knot, slightly open at the top. Their dough is very thin, almost transparent, and they are also steamed.

huntun or as they are called in southern China wonton, - small dumplings, usually round in shape, usually served in broth or soup with the addition of vegetables and other ingredients.

Very often, a number of Chinese dumplings include dim sum(or dim sum). Although in fact this is the southern Chinese pronunciation of the word "dianxin", which translates as small sweets, small snacks. I am not practically unfamiliar with the cuisine of southern China, so I can’t say for sure, but I assume that some of the small dumplings are considered such a snack there. However, it is not true to think that dim sums are just dumplings.

Today I will introduce you in detail step by step the recipe for the most popular type - jiaozi.

Dumpling dough - recipe

Usually, in everyday life, the simplest dough is prepared: flour, water and salt. The secret is long kneading, after which it becomes very elastic and rolls out thinly. But I want to invite you to cook choux pastry(Chinese also do not avoid it). In my opinion this is the best dumpling dough, easy to work and obedient.

Ingredients:

• flour - 350g;
• salt - 0.5 tsp;
• water - 200 ml;
• egg - 1 pc;
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.

Cooking process

Filling for dumplings

As I wrote at the beginning, we will not cook such dumplings, which as a result will seem too exotic to you. Therefore, let's take the usual minced pork, to which we add only a few additional ingredients, which will send us back to Chinese cuisine.

Filling composition:

• minced meat - 300g;
• onion - 1 pc;
• ginger root - a small piece;
• celery - a small bunch of leaves or a piece of the stem;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• soy sauce - 3 tablespoons;
• salt - to taste;
• water - 3-4 tbsp.

How to prepare the stuffing

How to make Chinese dumplings

Jiaozi we will boil in water, like ordinary dumplings. Those. Bring water to a boil, add a little salt. Put dumplings in boiling water, stir gently for a minute so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Then we just make sure that the water does not boil much and does not splash out.

When they float, cook for another 5 minutes and listen with a slotted spoon.

By the way, the Chinese cook jiaozi somewhat differently from us. They wait for the boil and pour a few tablespoons of cold water into the pan. When the water boils again, pour cold water again. Those. don't let it boil. It is possible that actively boiling water does not damage the thin dumpling dough.

What to serve with dumplings

Jiaozi is traditionally served with soy sauce and dark rice vinegar. It is difficult to buy this vinegar from us in Russia, so I recommend doing this:

1. Peel a couple of garlic cloves.
2. Finely chop them.
3. Pour soy sauce into a small bowl and add garlic to it.

When you eat and take a bite of the dumpling, pour a teaspoon of garlic sauce into it. This is delicious!

Pelmeni is one of the most popular everyday meals and not only in Russia. Italian ravioli, Chinese fountains and gyoza, Czech dumplings with fruit filling, exotic Indian modak - each country has its own unique dumpling culture dating back to the distant past. We decided to understand the whole variety of dumplings and compiled a detailed guide on their geography and the peculiarities of cooking and serving in different countries ah world.

The theory that dumplings have primordially Russian roots raises many questions. Most likely, this dish came to our and other cultures from Chinese cuisine, in which, by the way, you can find analogues of almost any dish in the world. In China, dumplings were prepared more than two thousand years ago, and later the Tatar-Mongolian nomads adopted this recipe from them, who introduced the peoples of the Urals to it. For Permians, Komi, Udmurts, as well as Siberian Tatars, dumplings have become important ritual dish. They came to Russian cuisine from the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century and after the colonization of the Urals. The name comes from the distorted Permian "dumplings" ("pel" - ear and "nan" - dough).

Real dumplings, as V.V. Pokhlebkin wrote, are characterized by a combination of minced meat from three types of meat: beef (45%), lamb (35%), pork (20%). Later, the Tatars began to use only lamb, and the Russians - only beef and pork. Onion, black pepper and less often herbs are also added to minced meat.

It is believed that dumplings become tastier when they are frozen after being blinded. Naturally, they came up with the idea of ​​​​doing this in Siberia - from there the name “Siberian” dumplings came from - thus, only pre-frozen dumplings can be called Siberian (or Ural).

V. V. Pokhlebkin

Soviet and Russian historian
and cook

Siberian dumplings recipe

The dough for real Perm dumplings consists of 2.5 cups wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cold water. For minced meat, you need to take 450 g of beef, 350 g of lamb, 200 g of pork, 3 onions, 2 tbsp. spoons of flour, 1 a raw egg, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 cup finely chopped young nettle or goutweed (can be replaced with parsley).

All types of meat are turned through a meat grinder, and greens and onions are finely chopped and mixed with minced meat. It is necessary to knead a stiff dough and leave it for 15–20 minutes under a towel, after which it is rolled out of it into a thin layer up to 1 mm thick (the thinner the better). Cut out circles from the sheet with a glass, moisten their edges with water (so that they are then more firmly connected). Place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the mug and carefully pinch to form a crescent, then bring the corners together. Carefully lay out the finished products on the board and leave them to dry a little, after which they can be put in the freezer.

It is recommended to boil dumplings not in simple salted water, but either in meat and bone broth, which will then go on a plate, or a la press - that is, in broth, which after that will not be used for food - this means that the broth can be how to flavor with onions, bay leaves, pepper, parsley and add salt to make it stronger and sharper.

What are especially good
handmade dumplings?

Experts do not favor the use of dumpling boards due to the fact that the strength of their seams is insufficient, and dumplings have to be undercooked so that they do not fall apart right in the pan. This method is only suitable when using minced pork, which cooks faster.

Dumplings are traditionally served at the table with butter or sour cream, with 3% vinegar, pepper, mustard
or shit.

How to diversify dumplings?

Let's not get hung up on our dumplings and quickly go over dumplings from around the world. Perhaps this list of dishes will inspire someone to culinary experiments with various ingredients. Try adding something from the list to make your dumplings sparkle with new flavors. Naturally, you do not need to interfere with everything and everything at once, and it is worth remembering that in the end you will not get dumplings, but something else. Be logical and remember that pork, for example, goes well with shrimp, potatoes with fat tail, and bamboo shoots with ginger.

In September 2010, Moscow hosted the World Karaoke Championship, in which the Audience Award went to a telephone company technician from the United States, Edward Pimentel. An unusual reward awaited him - a million dumplings. According to the organizers, if he eats 100 dumplings a day, they will last for 27 years.

List of ingredients:

mushrooms, seafood, Chinese cabbage (or kimchi), green onions, cheese, cilantro, ginger, chili, garlic, potatoes, fat tail, lard, pumpkin, peanuts, cardamom, bamboo shoots, coriander, cumin

Dumpling geography

18 recipes from around the world

Vareniki

What is the difference between dumplings with meat and dumplings? In addition to the fact that they are molded differently, it turns out that the key answer lies in the very name of the dish. If the filling for Russian (including) dumplings is prepared from raw meat, then when sculpting dumplings, chopped boiled meat is used. Fried lard and onions are added there for juiciness. Recall that in this Slavic dish, more common in Ukrainian cuisine, also often used fillings from potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, fruits and berries, cottage cheese. In Poland, there is a dish known as pierogi ruskie, which is also related to dumplings.

Peculiarity: Dumplings with meat after cooking are also often fried. The finished dish is sprinkled with fried onions with cracklings.

Ravioli, mentioned in Italian literature since the 13th century, is considered a Sicilian dish, where they probably came along the Silk Road from China. Their toppings can be anything from meats to vegetables, fruits and cheeses, or any combination of them. Unlike dumplings, ravioli can be not only boiled, but also fried - with this cooking method, they are usually served with the corresponding soup filling (broth or puree). Boiled ravioli are often served with various sauces, tomato, mushroom, cream, etc.

Peculiarity: The dough is prepared the same as for our dumplings or homemade noodles but with the addition of olive oil.

Wonton or huntun is a type of Chinese dumpling. The filling they have is chicken, pork, shrimp, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms (shiitake, syangu) and fruits. Wontons are steamed, boiled or fried in vegetable oil. Small boiled dumplings with pork usually go with the soup, while large fried dumplings are served separately.

One of the most popular varieties is Sichuan spicy wonton soup, who immortalized Lil B. The dish is dumplings filled with spicy broth seasoned with chili and black vinegar.

Peculiarity: Ginger, garlic and hot peppers are usually added to minced wontons.

Manti is a Central Asian dish that is popular in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Manty is very closely related to the Chinese baozi dumplings (Mongol-Buryat buuzes, bozy or poses originated from them). The filling in manti can be from lamb, beef, horse meat, goat meat and poultry. Fat tail fat, camel hump or cow udder are often added. From vegetables, minced meat can complement onions, potatoes, pumpkins or carrots. Manti is served with sour cream, tomato, hot pepper and garlic sauce.

Peculiarity: Manty is steamed in special pressure cookers.

Modak are traditional dumplings from the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dough is made from rice flour, and for the filling, crushed coconut pulp and unrefined palm sugar, nuts and cardamom are used. Dome-shaped dumplings are fried in oil or steamed and eaten with hot ghee ( ghee). This dish is traditionally prepared on the day of worship of Ganesha. It is with this delicacy in hand that this god of wisdom and prosperity is depicted in sculptures (holds sweetness in his left hand and reaches for it with his trunk).

Xiao long bao

Shanghai dumplings, shaped like khinkali, are steamed in bamboo baskets. Their filling consists of pork and a large amount of broth. There are even types of xiao long bao, in which jelly-like aspic is placed instead of minced meat - during steaming, it melts, forming a broth. The hot liquid filling is drunk through a straw and seized with a dough shell.

Peculiarity: Juice is the most important part of the dish.

Kimchi Mandu

Korean spicy dumplings more historically related to central Asian manti than to Chinese or Japanese relatives. Boiled mandu are usually rounded, similar to our domestic ones. Mandu for frying are molded in the form of boats. AT meat stuffing(usually minced meat is half pork, half beef), onion, ginger, as well as tofu and spicy Chinese cabbage kimchi are added (both products must be squeezed out to get rid of excess moisture). In the vegetarian version, meat can be substituted for mushrooms - preferably shiitake.

Peculiarity: Mandu served with soy sauce.

The term "dim sum" traditionally refers to the dishes of the southern Chinese breakfast, which includes Puer tea, rice soup, shrimp balls, cereals, pastries and other dishes. Now, this word is increasingly understood as something similar to dumplings with a thin, almost transparent layer of rice dough and with a wide variety of fillings. Popular fillings: minced pork, chicken, duck, shrimp, crab or vegetables and all their possible combinations. Usually a set of four or five types of dumplings is ordered on the table.

Peculiarity: Served in a bamboo steamer, in which they are cooked.

Ban bot lock

A Vietnamese variety of dumplings or dumplings with tapioca starch dough (in Russian realities, potato starch is also suitable). The filling is made from pork and shrimp, but the beauty of the dish lies in the sweet and sour sauce. To prepare it, mix in a bowl 3 tablespoons of hot water, 2 tablespoons fish sauce and a tablespoon of sugar. Squeeze the juice from half a lime there and add garlic, chili, cilantro and green onions to taste.

Taiwanese snack, which is disc-shaped dumplings with a diameter of six to eight centimeters. A filling of minced meat flavored with savory is hidden in the translucent dough. As usual, ba-van is served with sweet and sour sauce. The filling varies depending on the different regions of Taiwan, but generally consists of a mixture of pork, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms. The gelatinous sticky dough is made from a combination of corn starch, sweet potato starch, rice flour. Ba-wan is traditionally steamed, but also served deep-fried.

Momos are actually more like steamed buns than dumplings (and yes, it turns out they're not just a brand of car accessories). They are prepared both with filling and without in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, in the Indian states of Sikkim, Darjeeling and the Ladakh region. Having a Himalayan origin, the dish is a close relative of poses, manti and dumplings. A variety of meats are placed inside the dough, as well as vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, chayote) or cheese (traditionally paneer or smoked chkhurpi). As a rule, momos are served with garlic or tomato-based sauce.

Peculiarity: Stuffing minced meat is prepared with onion, garlic, coriander, salt, pepper and often cumin.

polish ears

Polish ears are miniature dumplings made from unleavened dough, a smaller version of a Polish dish called pierogi (which are not at all similar to our pies). Usually the ears are stuffed with forest mushrooms and/or minced meat. Traditionally served as a side dish or added to soup (Polish red borscht), although they are also eaten plain with melted butter, herbs and green onions. Ears are also part of the traditional Christmas table in Poland.

Peculiarity: The smaller the Polish ears, the higher the class of the cook is considered.

Gyoza - originally Chinese dish jiaozi, which then became very popular throughout Japan. These oriental dumplings are molded from very thin dough and fillings of minced pork, Beijing cabbage, nira (can be replaced with leeks or green onions), sesame oil with garlic and ginger. Meat can also be replaced with seafood. Dumplings are served with soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot oil. Fried gyoza are the most popular in Japan, although they are also boiled and steamed.

Peculiarity: Dumplings are fried on one side until golden brown, and then water is added and covered with a lid until the top of gyoza is cooked.

Khinkali is the Georgian answer to mantams, postures and Chinese counterparts. The filling is traditionally spicy minced lamb or a combination of beef and pork (onion and cilantro are often added). The dough is made only from flour, salt and water. During cooking, the raw meat that fills the bag of dough releases a precious broth. It is important at the first bite not to spill it on a plate, but to drink it carefully. The upper part of khinkali - the tail - is usually not eaten.

Peculiarity: Ready-made khinkali are generously sprinkled with ground pepper, but it is not customary to serve sauce for them - they already have enough juice.

Fan guo, or chaozhu fan guo (ChaoZhou Fun Guo), is a type of dumplings originally from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. As a rule, they have a filling of crushed peanuts, garlic, green onions, minced pork, dried shrimp, dried radish and shiitake mushrooms. They also add cilantro, jicama or dried daikon. The whole thing is wrapped in rather thick pancakes made from dough based on wheat flour, tapioca flour, corn or potato starch and water.

Peculiarity: Steamed dumplings served with hot chili oil.

Shvestkove dumplings

Shvestkove dumplings - Czech dumplings with fruits: plums, less often apricots, cherries and even peaches. First, the dough is kneaded with 2 cups flour, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Then small fruits are wrapped in the mixture and boiled in boiling water for about 8 minutes. After that, dumplings need to be flavored with butter and sprinkled with sugar.

Peculiarity: Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving, top with cottage cheese or whipped cream.

apple dumpling

Apple Dumpling (which can literally be translated as "apple dumpling") - popular dish throughout the United States and is especially common among the Amish in and around Pennsylvania. Despite the name, the dish is more like a strudel than something from the list described above. Peeled and crushed apples, seasoned with cinnamon and sugar, are wrapped in a rolled dough and baked until tender in the oven.

Peculiarity: The finished dish is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Daifuku, or daifukumochi, is a Japanese dessert, which is rice dough stuffed with anko (bean paste boiled with sugar or honey), grated melon or fruit. Daifuku can range from three centimeters in diameter to the size of a palm. Sweet dumplings are eaten cold, fried or microwaved.

Peculiarity: Daifuku is often sprinkled powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

Hajiao [虾饺] - from Chinese cuisine

O! Dumplings! Mi-mi-mi…

This is Hajiao - the famous "transparent" shrimp dumplings. A kind of visiting card of the Yam Cha tradition. By popular demand, here is the recipe.

Ingredients

For the test

• Boiling water - 240 ml
• Wheat starch— 240 ml
• tapioca starch- 2 tbsp. *
• Vegetable oil- 2 tsp

For filling

• Raw shrimp - 250 g
• canned bamboo shoots- 100 g
• Salo raw - 50 g
• Egg white - 1 piece
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp.
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Corn starch- 1 tbsp.
• Sesame oil - 0.5 tsp
• Salt

Rinse the bamboo shoots well, pour over with boiling water and cut into thin strips. Grind half of the shrimp into minced meat, chop the second large pieces, mix, add finely chopped lard, bamboo and other ingredients, knead and leave for half an hour.
In a large bowl, mix the two types of starch. Pour vegetable and sesame oil into a separate bowl, add boiling water, mix a little and pour it all into a bowl with starch. Mix well with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. After that, transfer the dough to the board and knead well as soon as it cools down a bit. As a result, the dough should not stick to your hands. If necessary, the board can be dusted with wheat starch. Cover the dough with a damp towel and leave for 5 minutes.
Roll out the dough into a "sausage" with a diameter of about 3 cm and cut into equal parts of the same length. Remove under a towel so that the dough does not dry out.
Before rolling out a piece of dough, you need to properly shake it in your hand, warm it up. How to roll. I usually roll out with a Chinese cleaver, lightly greased with sesame oil. You can simplify it: put a ball of dough between two layers of baking paper, press hard on it with a wide knife (the dough will immediately become an even circle) and then with the same knife, right through the paper, roll it to the desired thickness, making circular movements, clockwise and counterclockwise arrows. However, don't bother - a regular rolling pin will do. Try to roll thinner around the edges than in the middle.
The juice should be about 9-10 cm in diameter. Put a little stuffing in the center (about 1 tsp) and close it with large overlapping stitches, in the shape of a crescent. Don't ask how. It is difficult to explain in detail in words. Someday I'll take step by step photos. In general, sculpt as it will turn out - it will not affect the taste. We are out, sculpted in the form of hares. And even in the form of hedgehogs. The main thing is not to stretch the dough, otherwise it will tear. Did you play with plasticine as a child? Here! Sculpt.

Put the finished dumpling in a double boiler on a greased vegetable oil baking paper with holes cut in it (you can use thin circles of carrots, lettuce, spinach, etc.) and cover with a lid. When the steamer is full, boil the dumplings for 5-6 minutes until they are translucent. Serve with soy sauce mixed with 3 to 1 rice vinegar.
The dumplings are absolutely magical. If raw dough absolutely snow-white, then in finished form it becomes dull-translucent, slightly sticky. Very unusual but delicious. Some call them narcotic - you get addicted to them very quickly.
By the way, the ears of hares really live their lives and shake very funny when they move. I say - continuous mi-mi-mi.

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* - tapioca starch replaces corn starch, the reverse is also true

Note:

Yam Cha - one of the most original and never interrupted tea traditions.
tea drinking yam-cha occurs, as a rule, in the first half of the day, in special institutions or in separate rooms at restaurants. To a cup of fragrant oolongor pu-erh, a large number of small snacks are served, called dim sum.

Dumplings play a big role in Chinese cuisine and occupy a special place in it. In any real Chinese restaurant, a separate chef is always responsible for working with dough, that is, for dumplings and dim sum, who does nothing else - only dumplings and dim sum. According to one version, it was from China that dumplings spread all over the world at one time.
Can any food touch your heart? The Chinese believe that... "To touch the heart", "ignite the soul" - this is how the phrase can be translated from Cantonese dim sum [点心, diǎnxin].
The day of a modern Chinese begins with a newspaper, a cigarette and dim sum. As soon as the “tea houses” open, and they open very early, there is a full house inside: loud voices merge with the clink of tea appliances and the rustle of newspapers, cigarette smoke hovers from the ceiling, a queue forms for food - in order not to miss anything, sometimes you have to discard decency and good elbow work. And around the hall, like junks on a winding river, waitresses skillfully maneuver between the tables with carts lined with high towers of small bamboo double boilers.
The classic type of dim sums includes Hajiao [虾饺, hájiǎo] - the famous "transparent" dumplings with shrimp. A kind of visiting card of tradition "Yam Cha" .

Contrary to popular belief, dim sums are not just dumplings. In fact, this is a whole kaleidoscope of small snacks, the variety of which is amazing.

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Additional information on the store of Chinese products in Moscow: