"Fill, fold, pinch, repeat. Muscle memory kicks in as I envelop the gift in its wrapping. The gift is not a toy or clothes. It's not the "Guinness World Records" book that my dad requests year after year and is still surprised by every time. The gift is ground pork, green onions, ginger, shiitake mushrooms and everything good in the world. Its wrapping paper is a chewy round sheet of dough."
"The shape of dumplings has long been compared to gold ingots, which symbolize prosperity and wealth in Chinese culture. Gift or gold, I'd choose the real thing every single time. My memories of my dad's dumplings go back to what seems like the time I was born, my existence folded into theirs. I could barely use a microwave, but I knew how to pan-fry and then steam."
Dumplings are described as cherished family gifts filled with ground pork, green onions, ginger, shiitake mushrooms and wrapped in a chewy round sheet of dough. The dumpling shape resembles gold ingots and symbolizes prosperity and wealth in Chinese culture. Childhood memories include learning pan-frying and steaming, eating large quantities and developing muscle memory for folding. Assembly is an all-hands-on-deck ritual marked by teasing over whose dumplings are neatest and by shared satisfaction. A father leads the cooking, continuously replenishing plates until all dumplings are finished, creating comfort, connection and lasting family traditions.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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