Looking for something different or rather exactly the same? Let’s try this Japanese gyoza that binds the worlds into fame!

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Gyoza is a fairly recent addition to Japan’s culinary scene. After the Second World War, the returning soldiers brought back the recipes for the Chinese Jiaozi which quickly became popular.

The main difference, if any at all, between Chinese style jiaozi and Japanese gyoza is the rich garlic flavor of the gyoza and thinness of gyoza wrappers due to the use of machine-made wrappers.

But this distinction can’t be applied universally since China’s jiaozi traditions are as far and wide as China itself. We can find many places where jiaozi is thin and garlicy, just like gyoza. Not to mention that if gyoza is made by hand then it will be just as thick as handmade jiaozi.

Jiaozi are served with a dipping sauce that may include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice wine, hot sauce, and sesame oil while gyozas are humbler in the sense that they only require soy sauce and rice vinegar-based sauce to be dipped in.

Luckily though, we aren’t chained to neither sauce nor filling to be strictly followed if we don’t want to and we can wander far and wide not just in Chinese or Japanese culinary lands but enjoy all the world around us or more importantly inside our Gyozas.

Ingredients

1 pack of Gyoza (about 50)
3 cups / 200g Cabbage (finely sliced)
1 piece / 10g Ginger (peeled, grated)
1 clove / 3g Garlic (grated)
1 lb / 500g Ground pork
2 teaspoons / 10g Salt
1 tablespoon / 15ml Soy sauce
1 tablespoon / 15ml Sesame oil
2 tablespoons / 30ml Cooking oil (for frying)
Basic dipping sauce
- 3 tablespoons / 50ml Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon / 5ml Rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon / 15ml Cooking oil
- Hot sauce to taste

How to make Gyoza

Gyoza Wrap

We can make wrappers by kneading two parts of flour to one part of water. Roll the dough out thinly and cut them with a cookie cutter. Or we can simply buy them in any Asian shop, sometimes under the name of Jaozi.

Filling

Finely slice the cabbage. Peel and grate ginger and garlic.
In a bowl, add cabbage, ground pork, salt soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Mix together the ingredients by hand until well combined.

Assembly

Take a slice of gyoza into the non dominant hand. Dip a finger into cold water and run it round the edge of the wrap so it will stick together when folded.
Place about two tablespoons filling into the middle of the wrap.
Pinch the two opposing sides together in the middle.
Start making a pleat by folding the dough under itself. Make one side first.
Then pop over the other side too. Fold about 3 pleat on each side.
Once both sides are done, make sure the dough sticks together nicely.
They tend to stick down at the bottom and dry out at the top so don’t keep them waiting too long for the frying pan. Place them onto a lightly floured surface and spread a kitchen towel over them that slows down moisture evaporation if needed.

Frying

In our favorite skillet, heat oil to medium to high heat and place the gyozas flat side down.
Fry until the bottom gets golden brown, for about 2 minutes.
Pour a ⅓ cup / 75ml water in the skillet. Place the lid on! Using a lid is paramount!
Steam cook the gyoza until the water evaporates and the skin gets a rubbery cooked pasta like texture, for about 6 minutes. Remove the gyozas from the skillet. Shake together some basic dipping sauce and serve.