My Chinese teacher invited me to her her Father-in-laws house for lunch with another student. We arrived at an airy, modern flat, with Traditional style Chinese furniture – uncomfortable red wooden chairs, with bamboo seat covers so you don't get too hot and sweaty in the summer. We sat and sipped tea and asked repeatedly, "Can we help?"
As honoured guests, we should relax and not lift a finger, but Anna and I were very keen to learn how to make dumplings. Eventually we were allowed to help, and our host showed us how to roll out the dough into small flat round dumpling wrappers. And how to spoon just the right amount of filling onto the wrapper, and how to fold it neatly into a dumpling.
So we tried, and we rolled and we folded. It took us about two minutes to make one dumpling, in which time our host had made about six perfect ones, while ours looked like something a two year old might make! It looks very simple – squish the edges together, and pinch them shut. But the pinching requires a certain art which I suspect takes a lot of practice to get perfect!
The filling was a very special mixture, containing some kind of green vegetable, ginger, garlic, water chestnuts, and something else which I really didn't catch. My food Chinese is limited to what I can order in a restaurant. Ingredients are still beyond me, much to the amusement of the lady in the vegetable shop.
I regularly go in, look around, then attempt to explain what the vegetable I want looks like. She will say the right name, I will look blank, and explain again. She will say the right name again and show me, then I go, yes! And she laughs. Still, I'm learning. I can now ask for onions. Progress.
Anyway, dumplings. So we made dumplings, and then the meal was ready. We were treated to six cold dishes. Peanuts, thousand year eggs, pork, tofu skin, cucumber and duck. I expressed delight in the thousand year eggs (which are not actually one thousand years old, they are just pickled) and so had about 12 put onto my plate. Aaarrghh! Must remember to be noncommittal about everything in future! I guess they are an acquired taste as the texture can be a little slimy.
And then the dumplings came out, steamed and fried. Anna and I looked at them in despair. Were we really expected to eat all of this food? We had barely made a dent in the cold dishes! Our teacher said it was ok. So we ate as much as we could, slowly, and expressed our deep appreciation. The food was excellent, and it was awesome to be able to sit with a Chinese family and eat together. I'm sure it was nothing like the reality of a normal dinner at home for them, but still, we could imagine!
I was reminded of my grandfather, who liked nothing better than having a table full of family and friends around to eat together. Food always seems to taste better when you have company! So friends, family, come and visit me so we can eat together! I might even make you some misshapen dumplings, Chinese style!
