Millet Dumplings

Millet Dumplings

　　Millet Dumplings

　　Whenever the wild geese fly south and farmers swing their sickles to harvest millet and grain in the golden autumn season, the children of Yongdeng always clap their hands and sing this ancient nursery rhyme.

　　The Yongdeng region is rich in millet and grain, which are oily, sticky, and have a long-lasting sweet flavor. “Dumplings” are a type of coarse grain food made from millet flour by the local people. Nowadays, some also use cornmeal instead of millet flour. To make “dumplings,” the millet flour is first mixed with boiling water to form a dough, which is then divided into small pieces. The center of each piece is pinched inward and filled with a cooked stuffing made from lard, scallions, salt, and pepper. The stuffed dough is then shaped into round balls, ranging in size from as big as a fist to as small as an egg. After boiling them in a pot, they are scooped out and served in a broth. The aroma of lard, the sweetness of millet, and the savory taste of salt, pepper, and scallions stimulate the appetite.

　　The fillings for the “dumplings” include “brown sugar rose filling,” “minced meat and vegetable filling,” “walnut and date paste filling,” and others (some are made without any filling).

　　The broth poured over the “dumplings” includes the “original millet juice broth” in which the dumplings were boiled, as well as a “vegetable broth” made with greens and radishes. An even more refined version is the “minced meat sauce broth.” When the “dumplings” with lard, scallion, salt, and pepper filling are served with the “minced meat sauce broth,” locals refer to this dish as “fragrant inside and out.”