What Dumplings Share
Across continents and cultures, dumplings show up in kitchens, on holidays, and around tables. They may look different, but they’re all made of the same things — ingredients, meaning, and love.
A Universal Recipe
No matter where they come from, almost every dumpling starts with a simple formula:
Dough - flour, cornmeal, or rice
Filling - Vegetables, meat, cheese, beans, or anything meaningful
Cooking - steamed, baked, fried, or boiled
​
Dumplings are made with what's available and what's treasured
​
- Jiaozis (China): Wheat flour dough, pork and cabbage
- Tamales (Mexico): Corn masa, wrapped in husks, with meats or cheese
- Pierogis (Poland): Dough stuffed with potato, onion, or fruit
- Empanadas (Spain): Flaky dough filled with spiced meat
- Momos (Nepal): Soft Dumplings steamed with beef or vegetables
- Dombolos (South Africa): Yeasted dumplings, steamed over stew
​
WHat they mean to us
Dumplings aren't just food; they carry meaning and memory. Around the world, dumplings show up during celebrations, healing, migration, and survival.
​
- Comfort: Dombolo warms families during Sunday gatherings
- Celebration: Pierogi is made in huge batches for Christmas
- Healing: Jiaozi was first created to protect people from the cold
- Heritage: Tamales are still wrapped the same way they were for ancient rituals
- Connection: Momos bring families together in the kitchen
- Adaptation: Empanadas traveled across oceans and evolved in each country
​​​​
What People Say About Their Dumplings - Quote Wall
“Jiaozi, or classic Chinese dumplings, symbolize the importance of family and home in Chinese culture. … in a room full of brothers, sisters, cousins, and grandparents … all of us working together to make jiaozi, I felt more like family than simply a guest.”
— Epicurious
“You can rarely find a Nepalese who doesn’t like momos … ‘it’s stamped in our DNA and I cannot agree more.’”
— MrsGrg blog
Eating dumplings together as a family has been a tradition of ours for three generations.”
— Belcour Preserves
"Tamales symbolize more than food; they represent a cultural heritage passed down through generations.”
“Dumplings are…an expression of love … an art, passed down through generations.”
“Tamales aren’t just food—they’re a hug from Mexico.”
— Chef Denise
“There are several key words associated with Jiaozi in my mind: festivals and celebration, family union, happiness, wealth, and delicacy.”
“Tamales are about tradition. They bring the entire family together. … part art, part hard work, part repetitive labor but all family bonding.”
“If you were a Colombian, you would have your version of an empanada. If you are an Argentinean … dough that’s baked and has a butter sheen on it. … every culture has their own version of empanadas.”
— Chef José Garcés
The Museum of Food and Culture is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. EIN: 84-2913321.
©2025 by Museum of Food and Culture.