Zhēngjiao is a traditional dish consisting of steamed dumplings. The texture is somewhere between the crinkly and tender skins of boiled dumplings (shui jiao) and the crisp-bottom, chewy top style of pan-fried dumplings (guo tie or jian jiao or potstickers).
Once steamed, these dumplings will have a translucent wrapper covering the filling, which usually consists of pork and chives, cabbage, shrimp, or a combination of different vegetables. When served, zhēngjiao dumplings are often served with soy dipping sauce on the side.
The pan-fried variety of the Chinese jiaozi dumpling, known as guotie, is a Northern Chinese dumpling typically filled with minced pork, Chinese cabbage, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and sesame seed oil. Crunchy and soft textures are achieved by a special method of preparing; while the bottom of the dumpling is frying, a small amount of liquid is added to the pan which is then covered, thus allowing the rest of the dumpling and the filling to steam.
When it comes to the shape, guotie should always be long and straight as it can stand more easily and it does not fall over during cooking. Goutie can be literally translated as pot sticks, so these dumplings are often nicknamed potstickers, especially in North America.
MOST ICONIC Guotie
View moreSiomay is an Indonesian dish consisting of steamed cone-shaped fish dumplings, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, and bitter melon. After they have been steamed, all ingredients are assembled on a plate, cut into bite-sized pieces, and generously drizzled with a spicy peanut sauce.
The final touch to the dish is a splash of sweet soy and chili sauce, along with a drizzle of lime juice. Siomay is derived from Chinese shumai, and it is believed to have originated among Chinese immigrants who came to Indonesia during the Dutch colonial period.
MOST ICONIC Siomay
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Hamamatsu is a popular variety of Japanese gyoza filled with cabbage, onions, pork, and selected seasonings. It is characterized by a unique frying style in which cooks arrange gyoza in a circular pattern (hanetsuke, a technique in which a crispy bottom connects all the gyozas) so that they can fry as many snacks as possible at the same time.
It is very popular to pair Hamamatsu gyoza with a topping of bean sprouts.
These Chinese dumplings known as jiaozi, consisting of a thinly rolled piece of dough which contains either meat or a vegetable filling, are one of the most popular and most commonly eaten dishes in China and East Asia. They can be served either as an appetizer or as the main course, always with a side of soy sauce-based dipping sauce.
Traditionally, jiaozi are always eaten for Chinese New Year. Depending on how they are cooked, jiaozi dumplings can be classified into three categories: boiled, steamed, and pan-fried, but when it comes to folding techniques, there are many, and the most popular one is known as pinched-edge fold, which results in crescent-shaped jiaozi, the most popular shape in China.
VARIATIONS OF Jiaozi
MOST ICONIC Jiaozi
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Shuǐjiǎo are Chinese dumplings served without broth or soup, filled with various ingredients that are limited only by one's imagination. The boiled dumplings are a staple food of northern China. Some of the most popular ingredients for the filling include shrimp, cucumber, purple cabbage, ground pork, bean sprouts, vermicelli, and rice.
Shuǐjiǎo are especially popular during the Lunar New Year, when whole families in northern China prepare them, with some family members rolling out the dumplings, some mixing the ingredients for the filling, and some pinching them into crescent-like shapes.
MOST ICONIC Shuǐjiǎo
View moreXiaolongbao are soup-filled dumplings originating from the 19th-century Nan Xiang, what is today Shanghai's Jiading district. It is believed that the first form of xiaolongbao was sold by Huang Mingxian, a shop owner who wanted to evolve the classic dumpling due to the increased competition of neighboring vendors.
The dumplings are usually filled with a large volume of soup and minced pork, then steamed in a specially-designed bamboo steamer. Sometimes, xiaolongbao can also be filled with crab or shrimp meat. The dough is quite thin, and it is believed that it should be thicker than tang bao, but not as thick as shen jian bao.
MOST ICONIC Xiaolongbao
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The name tangbao or tangbaozi refers to a broad group of steamed Chinese soup-filled dumplings. Depending on the origin, dumplings can be made with leavened or plain dumpling dough which is usually wrapped around a gelatinous filling, twisted and sealed at the top, and then steamed.
While they steam, the firm filling (usually made with minced pork or crab meat) transforms into a flavorful soup, which stays safely secured inside the bun. Due to the nature of this Chinese delicacy, they are always served immediately after steaming, so the soup stays liquid and hot.
VARIATIONS OF Tangbao
MOST ICONIC Tangbao
View moreThe famous Japanese gyoza are crescent-shaped dumplings that have originated from the traditional Chinese jiaozi dumplings. The recipe was slightly altered to accommodate the Japanese taste, and gyoza soon became one of the favorite Japanese meals.
They consist of a thin wrapper made with wheat flour, eggs, and water, which is then stuffed with a mixture of meat and vegetables. The ingredients used in the stuffing are regionally influenced, but most commonly include minced pork or chicken, cabbage, chives, a substantial amount of garlic, ginger, and green onions.
VARIATIONS OF Gyoza
MOST ICONIC Gyoza
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Manti are traditional Turkish dumplings filled with spiced ground meat and onions. The dumplings are most commonly topped with a sauce consisting of yogurt and garlic. The name of the dish is derived from mantu, meaning dumplings, and they were originally brought over from Central Asia to Türkiye by nomadic Turkish tribes in the 13th century.
Today, manti dumplings are popular throughout Turkey, as well as in numerous other cuisines such as Armenian, Afghan, and Central Asian.
VARIATIONS OF Manti
MOST ICONIC Manti
View moreTasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Dumplings in the World” list until February 13, 2025, 17,487 ratings were recorded, of which 12,616 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.