The traditional Chinese festival Dongzhi, or midwinter in English,
falls on this Saturday. Chinese people normally eat dumplings to
mark this occasion. The reason why they eat dumplings is to protect
their ears from getting frostbitten.
As the story goes, in ancient China there was once a kind doctor
who helped local people free of charge. One winter he saw that some
local people got frostbite on their ears. So he collected some
traditional Chinese medicine, including mutton, pepper and other
ingredients, and boiled them in water. Then he made the boiled
medicine into snacks, which took the shape of dumplings. He
distributed the snacks to the local people together with a bowl of
hot soup. They ate the medicine and were cured of frostbite. From
then on eating dumplings on Dongzhi became a Chinese custom. So
let's go and eat dumplings on Dongzhi in China.
Beijing
*Laobian Dumplings Eatery
With 200 years of history, Laobian Dumplings Eatery is one of
the few remaining national eateries. Recommended dumplings are
sanxian (leek, fresh pork and dried small shrimps) dumplings,
fennel dumplings and zucchini dumplings. Laobian also offers
vegetarian dumplings. Steamed dumplings, compared to those
typically boiled, are also worth a try.
Apart from dumplings Laobian also features various fried dishes
and its morning snacks of stuffed buns are popular among those in
the nearby neighborhood.
Location: No. 179, Beitucheng Xilu, Haidian District
Tel: 010-62352308
*Shunyifu Dumplings Eatery
Hiding in a lane off Wangfujing Street, Shunyifu Dumplings Eatery
is a nice spot for those who shop around the area. There is a wide
range of dumplings here, including shrimp, leek and eggs, western
celery and water chestnut in addition to the commonly found pork
and leek, pork and fennel as well as zucchini and eggs.
Clay pot with meatballs here is also a nice dish. The soup is
clear and it tastes pretty good though containing only a few
meatballs. For cold dishes, mustard fungus tops the list, while
spiced beef comes a close second. Shunyifu also features a
traditional Chinese treatcalled labasuan, or preserved garlic which
is often eaten with dumplings.
Location: No. 36-3, Ganyu Hutong, Dongcheng District
Tel: 010-65281960
*Taiping Dumplings Eatery
Located near Beijing Normal University, Taiping Dumplings Eatery
has becomes a hangout for many overseas students.
The dumplings varieties here include leek and eggs, beef and
carrots, and leek and pork. The foreigners' other favorite dishes
here include gongbao jiding (spicy chicken cubes, peanuts and
onion). Candy floss is a great dessert whileclay pot cabbage and
beancurd is a nice treat during the cold winter.
Location: 50 meters north of Beishida Eastern Gate, No.19
Xinjiekou Waidajie, Xicheng District
Shanghai
*Dongbei Dumplings Eatery: the Original Flavor
Chinese people believe those in Dongbei, Northeast China have
the most savory dumplings. The cold weather and the fertile soil
make Northeast China a base for wheat production. Therefore these
people are good at making snacks from flour, and dumplings are one
of them.
The Dongbei Dumplings Eatery offers original Dongbei dumplings
as well as some Dongbe home-style dishes. Recommended dishes are
roumo qiezi, eggplant cubes fried together with pork paste and
Dongbei luandun, a stew made with tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkin,
cabbages and Dongbei mushrooms. All are fairly priced, and using
original Dongbei ingredients, these dishes all help keep the winter
cold away.
Location: No. 858, Longzhoulu, Xuhui District
Tel: 021-64552823
*Beijing Dumplings Eatery
Described as the "best dumplings available in Shanghai" by some
customers, Beijing Dumplings Eatery is owned by a couple. The wife
makes the dumplings on the site and the husband serves customers.
There are a variety of dumplings here, such as dumplings stuffed
with pork and cabbage, or with beef, or with pork and celery. All
are priced at 2.5 yuan for every 50 grams, which contains six
dumplings. A soup is served together with dumplings.
Beijing Dumplings Restaurant has successfully created a
home-style flavor. But because there are only two people serving
customers, diners need to wait for their dumplings.
Location: Lingyun Xincun, Hongmeilu, Xuhui District
*Laoshaan Dumplings Eatery
Laoshaan Dumplings Eatery is dedicated to Shaanxi dishes and
dumplings are well known. Sanxian dumplings are said to be the
best. The stuffing is made with leek, fresh pork and dried small
shrimps. Other dumpling varieties include lotus roots and fresh
pork dumplings and mutton dumplings.
Among its savory Shaanxi flavor dishes, Liangpi snack tops the
list. Liangpi, or rice paste jelly, offered here is chewy and it
includes a lot of seasoning. Suancaiyu, preserved cabbage and fish
stewed together, comes the second, though it is a bit strange as
suancaiyu is typically a Dongbei dish. The black fish is cooked for
a long time, and the thick soup is full of flavor from the
preserved cabbages.
Location: No. 15 Yunnan Nanlu, Huangpu District
Tel: 021-63731496
(dianping.com December 27, 2007)
