What are Gyoza? A Japanese dumpling guide (2024)

FAQs

What is a Japanese gyoza? ›

Gyoza (餃子, gyōza) are dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin dough. Also known as pot stickers, gyoza originated in China (where they are called jiaozi), but have become a very popular dish in Japan.

Traditionally in Japan Gyoza are filled with a mix of finely minced pork, mushrooms and cabbage, which creates a delicious mix of flavours and textures.

There are usually three types of gyoza that are found and enjoyed in Japan. That is yaki gyoza, age gyoza, and sui gyoza.

The Origin of Gyoza

The gyoza was first introduced to Japan in the early 1800s from mainland China. Yet, gyoza, "jiaozi" in Chinese, wasn't widely eaten in Japan until after World War II. Japanese soldiers, returning home after the war, missed eating the cheap and delicious Chinese street food.

gyo·​za gē-ˈō-zə plural gyoza or gyozas. : a crescent-shaped dumpling consisting of a thin wrapper that is filled usually with meat, seafood, or vegetables. Gyoza are very versatile—you can pan-fry, steam, boil or deep-fry them, or simply add a couple to your noodle soup.

In fact, gyoza is the Japanese pronunciation of jiaozi! There are a few theories of where the name “jiaozi” originated. One of the most popular theories is that jiaozi was named because of its unique horn shape since the Chinese word for “horn” is jiao.

Side or main – how many gyoza dumplings do I need? In Japan gyoza are often served as a side dish with ramen or noodle soup. You'll need around 10 dumplings per serving for gyoza on the side. If you want to serve the delicious dumplings as a main course, you'll have to make at least 15 per person.

This is one such recipe. OH HELLO Gyoza Soup (or Sui Gyoza). My kids love the frozen bags of gyoza, but they're not a full meal (more like a snack or starter with dips), so I decided to make a soup, adding vegetables and noodles too to make sure it's a fully filling lunch or dinner.

Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are also popular in other parts of East Asia, where a Japanese variety is referred to as gyoza, and in the Western world, where a fried variety is referred to as potstickers.

I learned this gyoza recipe while living in Japan. These pot stickers can be served hot or cold, with or without the dipping sauce.

Are gyoza healthy? ›

The dough is roughly equivalent to what you'd use to make a pastry, minus the fat. No, regular steamed or pan-fried gyoza aren't that unhealthy.

First recorded in 1965–70; from Japanese gyoza, from Chinese dialect (Shandong) giǎoze ( Mandarin jiǎozi ), equivalent to giǎo “stuffed dumpling” + ze “l*ttle child” (used as a diminutive suffix)

Ajinomoto is ranked number one gyoza in Japan!

Pork — Classic gyoza usually consist of ground pork. Cabbage — Regular cabbage is commonly used for gyoza, as opposed to Chinese dumplings, which typically use napa cabbage. We use different methods to wilt the tough cabbage leaves. Some blanch them or microwave them for a minute or two.

Utsunomiya , the self-proclaimed gyoza capital of Japan with over 200 shops, can keep you dining out on gyoza for days.

Serve alongside brown rice or rice noodles for a more filling, nutritious dinner.

After it has been cooked it is best to eat it straightaway while it's still hot, though some people like a cooler, or even cold, gyoza, however you don't just eat it as it is. If you are eating in a restaurant then they will provide a dipping sauce, and if you buy it in a supermarket it will normally come with a sauce.

What Are Gyoza Wrappers? Gyoza wrappers are a thin and round flour pastry that wraps around the filling of gyoza or Japanese potstickers. The dough is made of wheat flour, water, and a pinch of salt.

I've had gyoza filled with lamb and mint, confit duck, even cream cheese and shrimp. They can all be good, but here, our goal is to perfect the classic combo of pork and Napa cabbage.