A dumpling heaven in Chengdu
- By Iona Vonk-Orbinski
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China.org.cn, August 22, 2011
Dumpling Heaven … is located on earth, actually!
Or, to be more precise, Dumpling Heaven is located in Chengdu, Sichuan. Because it is in the heart of Renmin Park, where the famous Zhong's Dumpling Restaurant [钟水饺(人民公园店)] can be found.
While the Chinese particularly eat dumplings around New Year, at Zhong's Dumpling Restaurant it doesn't matter what time of the year it is. It's always busy.
Radio86 spoke with restaurant manager Zhu Yuanqing and asked why his dumplings are better than all the other ones out there.
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Zhong's Dumpling Restaurant manager Zhu Yuanqing. [Iona Vonk-Orbinski/Radio 86] |
Existing for ages
Forth-generation manager Zhu Yuanqing stands behind the counter of his charming restaurant. Above him, the immense menu proudly lists the wide selection of dumplings the restaurant has on offer.
All recipes have been perfected over the years, because Zhong Dumplings has been around for ages. They even started as far back as the Qing Dynasty (1893).
"A chief named Zhong created this kind of dumpling and named it Zhong Dumpling," explains Zhu, "He collected all kinds of special ingredients, like garlic from Wenjiang, beans from Yongchuan; mushrooms from Jiuzhaigou and rape oil from the Chengdu plains."
Changes
Needless to say, the four-generation restaurant has seen a lot of changes. Especially now that Chengdu is becoming more popular [node=77823]and well known for its cuisine.
"What changed from the first two generations is that we introduced many local snacks, include some famous snacks from other areas in China," says Zhu. "There are also many other snacks that feature our dumplings, like Fuqi Feipian and Longchaoshou."
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Not your every-day dumpling
Without revealing his trade secrets, Zhu also tells his dumplings are special. Special in the sense that for instance the dough is made by hand.
"We still use the traditional skills. This skill is now part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The flour must be very smooth and there are many local ingredients that are only used in Chinese recipes. Our dough is so thin that you can read a newspaper through it!"
"Our dumplings are different from dumplings in Northern China. What 's important is the filling. We only use pork. So, the dough is thin, the filling soft, with lean meat. It is full of the taste of garlic. It is spicy, but not very hot and gives a little bit of a sweet aftertaste."
Off to Zhong's!
Well, if those famous dumplings don't make your mouth water, then I don't know what does. Though perfectly described by the manager, it's hard to imagine the exact and gentle taste unless you've actually tried them.
So why don't you venture on out to Chengdu and try them for yourself! Mr. Zhu recommends the Red Chili Oil Dumpling. And even if you don't like chilli, the impressive menu has such great variety, there are for sure some dumplings with your name on it! Go on, get going!
The author is an editor with radio86.com, a Finnish media that provides news about China.
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