Dumplings Research Paper

At the sight of piping hot dumplings on the plate, I can hardly resist the temptation to dig in. Of all the delicious cuisines I have eaten in my life, jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) is the only food that are able to stir up the deepest and fondest memories from the corners of my heart. Dumplings are no longer an ordinary staple to me. Rather, it has long become a food of extraordinary sentimental value to me.

Looking back at the years when I was a kindergarten boy, my family used to sit around the dining table and make dumplings with our own hands on weekends. While making dumplings with my family around, my grandma used to help me place an adequate amount of minced pork and vegetables in the middle of the dough skin and my mother used to hold my tiny hands, teaching me how to fold and pinch the edges of the wrappers to seal in the fillings. It did not take long for the silver tray to be covered by beautifully shaped dumplings.

After all the dumplings were made, my sister and I would stand at the kitchen door, looking at my mother drop the dumplings into the pot of boiling water, feeling excited to enjoy the results of our hard work.

The moment I picked up a plump dumpling, bit it in half and chewed the filling mixtures in my mouth, both crunchy and juicy, my heart was overflowing with happiness and contentment.

As soon as I returned home and opened the front door, I was captivated by the aroma of cooked dinner from the kitchen, the smell of freshly cooked dumplings seemed to lift the stress and strain I had after an entire day of work at school. My mother greeted me with a radiant smile and handed me a bowl of dumplings. I was intoxicated with the crispiness of the crust and the tastiness of the stuffing wrapped beneath. Touched by my mother’s thoughtfulness and her awesome cooking skills, I threw my arms around my mother, hugging her tightly and enjoying the close relationship between mother and

son.
Years fleeted by. Since each and every family member is busy with his or her own work now, there is hardly any time for all family members to gather around the table for a decent meal, let alone making dumplings together on weekends. Looking back at those nostalgic memories in which I made dumplings with my family, I can’t help letting out a sigh, knowing that those were the days I could not return to. Without a doubt, dumplings served as a testimony of the strong bonds I share with my home and my family. Taking a bite of the steaming dumplings in front of me, the familiar taste stirs up memories of childhood, intense, intact and memorable. I smiled as if I were still the innocent little boy with my heart teeming with nothing but happiness.