Regional Variations

Dumplings vary by region and also from person to person. Asian dumplings can be filled with many different combinations of fillings and they can also be wrapped with different materials or wrapped in different styles. Some can be boiled and some are fried. There is not really one true way to make a dumpling. In the same way, dumplings in America differ widely as well. Some chicken and dumpling dishes have many more ingredients like corn, peas, etc. while others stay very basic in their list of ingredients, only requiring flour, chicken, and water. This shows the dynamic quality of food as it molds to people's experiences over time. In Jonathan Clement's, A History of the Silk Road, readers are informed of the way food changed drastically as different groups of people started to discover and appreciate new cultures due to the Silk Road. They would take newfound goods and techniques and apply them to their own methods, developing new cuisines along the way.

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Today, there are more variations than we could even think of as every family has their own way of making their favorite style of dumplings. The Tasty video on the top left as well as the portion of the Paula Deen video demonstrate these variations. New ingredients and new styles do not change the intrinsic quality of the dish but instead make it more personal. The images below show the sheer popularity of dumplings in both Chinese and American forms as they are even mass produced in ready-made varieties sold at grocery stores around the world.