12 dumplings from 10 countries

In every nook and cranny of the world you will find silky soft dough packets, one juicier and more original filled than the other. Have you tasted them all yet?

Also read: these are the 8 most popular soups in the Netherlands

Pierogi from Poland – and even more eastern bloc dumplings

You could call them Polish dumplings, although they also resemble ravioli. The dough parcels are traditionally filled with firm potatoes, white cheese and onion. You also come across them with minced meat, caviar, mushrooms and sauerkraut. Funny: Nearby Eastern Bloc countries claim that pierogi are derived from their own varieties – the pelmeni in Russia and the vareniki in Ukraine.

Khinkali from Georgia

Making soft pillows with a juicy filling is an art. A worldwide success, although many variations still have to make do with less fame. A good example are khinkali, those amazingly tasty dumplings from Georgia. Vic shows you how to make a vegetarian variant step by step.

Khinkali with spicy mushrooms

The filling of khinkali differs per region, from potato or (wild) mushrooms to – the most popular – with minced meat, spices, onion and coriander.Do you have leftover mushroom filling? For example, add the remaining filling to an omelette and serve with a simple green salad.

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Manti from Turkey

Comfort food from the Mediterranean East: manti, pasta pouches filled with onion and walnut. Creamy cool yogurt and hot chilli garlic oil give it the kick that comes with it. Traditionally, manti is filled with minced lamb, a specialty from Anatolia.

Gyoza from Japan

The most famous Japanese dumplings. Usually the filling consists of pork. The dumplings are first pan-fried for that crispy layer, and then steamed. You can find these dumplings as a snack all over Japan. Nice to wash it down with a beer afterwards.

quick dumplings with sweet and sour fennel

Make only a double amount of these dumplings, because they are super delicious! The official name is pot stickers, because they are baked after steaming and then stick to the pan a bit. Organize an Asian evening this weekend and make these steamed buns.

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Shanghai and wonton dumplings from China

The hanghai dumpling, also known as Shengjian bao, looks more like a bun than a pasta pad. The steamed dumpling is meant for soup, just like the other well-known dumpling from China: the wonton. The special thing about the shanghai dumpling is that there is gelled broth in the filling, which melts during steaming and turns into a delicious soup that you should slurp up. In other words, a soup dumpling!

shanghai dumplings

Valli: ‘This is my simple version of the dumplings from the famous Nanxiang Dumpling House in Shanghai.’

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Ravioli and gnudi from Italy: also dumplings?

Is pasta a noodle and ravioli a dumpling? Since David Chang opened the debate in the Netflix series Ugly Delicious about the hierarchy of stuffed Italian pasta versus Chinese dumplings (ravioli is held in higher esteem, according to Chang), the food world has become more aware of the political connotation of food. Although, does it matter? Can’t we enjoy both equally?

ravioli with pumpkin and amaretti

Making your own ravioli is relaxing for us. Knead pasta dough, slowly pass pasta sheets through the pasta machine and then divide the delicious pumpkin amaretti filling over the sheets with great precision. Fold the pasta, cut to size, cook briefly and then: enjoy! From a plate full of ravioli with delicious sage butter sauce.

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basil gnudi with roasted pomodorini salsa

Straight from Tuscany! Gnudi are ricotta gnocchi. Parmesan cheese gives them an extra savory taste. You make the balls with your hands or with two spoons. Gnudi won’t take the beauty prize, but they taste great!

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Knödel: dumplings from Austria

A trip to the mountains! Knödels or dumplings in Dutch, is the Austrian answer to the dumpling. Are they filled? Yes, but not always. Often there is meat in the filling, such as minced pork or bacon. During ski holidays you may have come across the sweet variety, the germknödel buried under a thick layer of poppy seeds, warm vanilla sauce and filled with apricots, plums or berries. As the name suggests: you can live on a dumpling for hours! Janneke makes a vegan variant:

Austrian spinach dumplings with lemon butter & peas

With fresh lemon butter and crunchy peas, these spinach dumplings become wonderfully summery. Start on time or make them earlier and store the dumplings in the fridge or freezer.

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Momos from Nepal (and Tibet)

If you want to eat Nepali and are fond of dough packets, order momos. These delicate dumplings come in a variety of fillings and shapes. Tip from Jonneke de Zeeuw: at Bhatti Pasal in Amsterdam you eat the best in the Netherlands. Do not try to eat the momo in several bites, just put it in your mouth at once, then you keep all the juices inside and that makes the momo extra tasty.