Chive Dumplings

Chive Dumplings

　　Chive Dumplings

　　They use chives as the primary filling (chive blossoms or yellow chives can be used instead). During preparation, fresh chives are washed, chopped into small pieces, and combined with diced mushrooms, diced dried shrimp, plus a suitable amount of MSG, salt, pepper, and sesame oil to create the filling. The wrappers are usually made of sweet potato starch. The wrapper is flattened into a round shape, the filling is enclosed, then shaped into a ball with crinkled ridges on top, steamed in a bamboo steamer for 15 minutes until cooked, and finally pan-fried in oil on a flat iron pan until golden brown. They have a rich flavor, with a white exterior and emerald green interior. Those sold by street vendors are often more economical versions, using only chives for the filling without finer ingredients like mushrooms.