Jiaxing Meat Dumplings (traditional food with centuries-old flavors)

1. Origin of Jiaxing Meat Rice Dumplings

Jiaxing Meat Rice Dumplings is one of the traditional Chinese dumplings, which originated in Nanhu District of Jiaxing City. According to legend, the history of Jiaxing meat dumplings can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, Jiaxing was a prosperous commercial city where people traveled frequently. In order to make it easier to carry around, local residents wrapped ingredients such as glutinous rice, meat and bean paste in bamboo leaves to make the dumplings. Over time, Jiaxing meat dumplings gradually became a traditional delicacy for local people.

2. Ingredients of Jiaxing Meat Rice Dumplings

The main ingredients of Jiaxing Meat Rice Dumplings include glutinous rice, pork, salted egg yolks, shiitake mushrooms and peanuts. Among them, glutinous rice is the soul of Jiaxing meat dumplings, it needs to be soaked in advance so that it will be more sticky after cooking. Pork needs to be diced or cut into strips, put into the pot to cook, and then mix well with other seasonings.

3. Steps to Make Jiaxing Pork Rice Dumplings

3.1 Preparation

First of all, you need to soak the glutinous rice for 3-4 hours, and then rinse it well with water. Pork needs to be diced or cut into strips, boiled in a pot and mixed with other seasonings. Salted egg yolks need to be boiled and cut into small pieces, shiitake mushrooms need to be softened and cut into small pieces, and peanuts need to be fried and ground into powder.

3.2 Wrap the dumplings

Wash the prepared bamboo leaves with water, boil them and put them into a pot, soak them for 20-30 minutes. Then, fish out the bamboo leaves and let them dry. Put the glutinous rice into the pot, add appropriate amount of salt and oil, mix well and set aside.

Take a bamboo leaf, fold it in half to form a triangle, fold the corners of both sides to form a funnel shape. Then, put a spoonful of glutinous rice into the bamboo leaf, compact it and add a piece of pork, a piece of salted egg yolk, a piece of mushroom and a spoonful of peanut powder. Finally, squeeze the bamboo leaves tightly with your hands and tie them tightly with a thin string.

3.3Cooking the Rice Dumplings

Put the wrapped Jiaxing meat dumplings into a pot, add enough water, bring it to a boil, and then cook it on low heat for 1-2 hours.

4. How to eat Jiaxing meat dumplings

Take out the boiled Jiaxing meat dumplings, cut open the bamboo leaves, and you can eat them. Jiaxing meat dumplings have a delicate texture and rich meat flavor, making them a delicious traditional food.