New Books: Dumplings in Thailand.

The Thammasat University Library has newly acquired a book about the importance of dumplings in world culture and history. Dumplings: a Global History is by Barbara Gallani of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dr. Gallani is a scientist and Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST). While all people love to eat, especially dumplings, most of us do not spend much time thinking about the historical meaning of food in society. Dr. Gallani deals with such questions as what is a dumpling, and how different forms of  dumplings became popular around the world. Once considered an appropriate food for celebrations and feasts, dumplings became popular as street food. In Italy they are called gnocchi, in Poland they are known as pierogi, and of course Chinese-style wonton have become famous all over the world. Some dumplings are stuffed, while others are unfilled. People disagree over whether to prefer them steamed or boiled. Dumplings are considered comfort food because they are tasty, filling, and inexpensive. Dr. Gallani points out that different kinds of dumplings were made in different parts of the world, depending on what ingredients were readily available. Since potatoes were plentiful in Northern Europe, they were used in dumplings there, whereas wheat, widely available in the United Kingdom, Italy and China, became an essential ingredient in dumplings there. In 2015, Dr. Gallani told an interviewer about dumplings available near her London home:

Within a 300 metre radius from my flat it is possible to find all of the following: the best Chinese jiaozi in town; Japanese gyoza; Turkish manti; Italian ravioli; Central European knödel, Austrian spätzle and more.

One possible source for the meaning of the word dumpling has to do with the consistency of the dough used in it. Compared to the English word, the Cantonese alternative of wonton is more graceful, meaning swallow cloud. According to China Daily in 2014, legend has it that Chinese dumplings or jiaozi were first invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a physician, writer and inventor of the Eastern Han dynasty:

Zhang Zhongjing lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty 1800 years ago. Reportedly, Zhang noticed that many people’s ears were frostbitten when he returned to his hometown one winter. He decided to wrap mutton, chilli and some warming medicinal herbs in dough skin. Folding them into the shape of an ear, he boiled them in water before giving them to the poor. Wang Lingxiang, doctor, said, “All the materials used in Zhang’s recipe could help warm the body, promote the blood flow and then thaw the cold ears. The dumplings also had a wonderful taste so they were well received by the people.”

Zhang used these dumplings as a form of natural medicine, and gave them to people who were suffering from illnesses during a cold time of the year, from late December until New Year’s Eve. This story may explain why many people feel that dumplings must be good for us and not just taste good. Yet it does not give the reason why dumplings are equally popular in countries where winter cold is not an issue, for example Thailand. Jiaozi is typically made of minced meat and chopped vegetables wrapped in a piece of dough. The minced filling may be ground pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or fish. Pork with Chinese cabbage or garlic chives or shrimp with vegetables or spring onion are particular favorites. Jiaozi may be boiled, steamed or fried. They are on the menu for the evening meal before Chinese New Year, as well as family reunions.

Wonton is another celebrated form of dumpling, usually found in soups, with a thinner wrapping than other dumplings. Wontons are a characteristic food of such Southern Chinese cities as Shanghai, Guangdong, and Hong Kong, while jiaozi are a trademark of Northern China. Each area of China has its own special forms of wonton, for example Beijing, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Fujian. As all Thais know, in the Kingdom the wonton is called kiao (เกี๊ยว) and wonton soup is called kiao nam (เกี๊ยวน้ำ). The latter is made with chicken stock and the wontons have a pork filling. Since kiao nam is made using Thai herbs and spices, it has a specific Thai taste, which is made richer by diners adding their preferred spicy, salty, sour, and sweet condiments at the table before enjoying it. While wontons are an important element of Thai cooking, in China they have a mythical stature. In Mandarin language they are called hundun. The same word also refers to a legendary being without a face in Chinese mythology. This Hundun (or wonton) is involved with myths about the creation of the universe. It fulfills the the role of a central form of chaos before the universe was created, according to Chinese legend. It is associated with the widely shared myth in different cultures and civilizations of a world egg or cosmic egg, from which life is hatched at the start of history. However much we enjoy a bowl of kiao nam in the Kingdom, we would not claim that it is involved with the start of the universe.

There are many other forms of Chinese dumplings, including sweet Tangyuan filled with sesame, peanut, and red bean paste. These are served for dessert. Fans of Chinese restaurants are also familiar with a variety of dumplings found in dim sum, for example har gow, fun guo, siew mai, cha siu bao, lo mai gai and crystal dumplings.

International influences 

In other parts of Asia and South Asia, dumplings have their own characteristics. Indians enjoy bhajia, dumplings stuffed with fruits and vegetables, as well as karanji, fried sweet dumplings made of wheat flour and stuffed with coconut. In Indonesia, as in Thailand, local tatstes altered the Chinese original to have an individual flavor. One result in Indonesia was siomay, a fish dumpling served in peanut sauce. In the Philippines, siomai is made from ground pork, beef, and shrimp, along with chopped carrots and other vegetables. Anyone who goes to a Japanese restaurant knows all about gyōza, and in Korea, mandu is a favorite, stuffed with ground pork, kimchi, vegetables, and cellophane noodles. In Nepal, steamed dumplings or momo-cha are taste delights.

Although the cultural and historical transmission of dumplings from China to other countries is a complex tale, dumplings have acquired sociological importance in other parts of the world as well. Dumplings made of potatoes inspired the Thuringian Dumpling Museum in central Germany. In what is apparently the only dumpling museum in the world, students may enroll in a dumpling seminar and study local cooking. In European countries with cold winters, dumplings are valued, but they are also popular in nations with warmer climates as well.

Thailand and dumplings

The Kingdom enjoys special prestige for its dumplings. At the London Cookery School, UK, a class is offered in Thai sculpted dumplings. Whether in the form of a chick or flower, dumplings are created by students to look like miniature works of art. The projects include:

• Chor Muang  ช่อม่วง (Thai Royal Flower Dumplings)
• Khanom Jeeb Thai ขนมจีบไทยตัวนก (Steamed Snowbird Shaped Dumplings)
• Plaited Dumplings ปั้นสิบนึ่ง (Twist-Plaited Vegetarian Thai Dumplings)

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)