Crisp-bottomed pockets, pan-fried to a golden snap.
The ritual
Gyoza
1
Fill & pleat
Pork and cabbage are wrapped in thin dough and pleated by hand.
2
Sear flat-side down
Placed flat in a hot, oiled pan until the base browns.
3
Steam-fry
A splash of water and a lid steam them through.
4
The crispy skirt
The water boils off, leaving a lacy, crisp “skirt” (hane).
A journey through time
Gyoza
✦
Born as jiaozi
Dumplings (jiaozi) are an ancient Chinese tradition.
1945
Carried to Japan
Soldiers returning from the mainland bring them to Japan.
↻
The gyoza is born
Thinner skins and a crispy pan-fry create the Japanese gyoza.
∞
Ramen-shop staple
A must at ramen counters and street stalls worldwide.
Good to know
🇵🇱
Cousin of pierogi
Filled dough pockets the world over — close cousins of the Polish pierogi.
🔥
It’s all in the skirt
The lacy crisp base, the “hane”, is the mark of good gyoza.
🥢
Soy, vinegar, chili
Dipped in a sauce of soy, rice vinegar and chili oil.
🌙
New-Year luck
In China, their coin-purse shape symbolises wealth at New Year.
Types
Gyoza
Kurczak i warzywa
Kurczak i kimchi
Wołowina i warzywa
Krewetki i warzywa
Where it comes from
Gyoza — Japan
Gyoza came to Japan from Chinese jiaozi after World War II, when soldiers returned from the mainland. The Japanese gave them a thinner wrapper and the signature crisp, pan-seared bottom.
