In the northern part of China, people often say:"Dumplings are the best to eat."
Indeed, because of its cold, arid climate, people spend the winters eating vegetables stored away in the fall.
Jiaozi — Chinese dumplings — have become a specialty in the north.
Dumplings are made by wrapping a dough around meat and vegetables.
In the past, people ate dumplings only on festive occasions; now they have become common fare in the home, and several brands of frozen dumplings are available in stores.
However, it is still the custom in the north to make and eat dumplings on the eve of Spring Festival.
During this time it is common to hear people say,"Dumplings are the best to eat."
Laobian's Dumplings are distinctive for their fried meat and variety of vegetable stuffing. They can be found at the 160-year-old Laobian's Dumplings Shop in Shenyang, a large city in northeast China.This kind of dumplings is called "Old Bian" because the shop's founder was Bian Fu.
During that time Bian Fu tried his best to improve the stuffing so that his dumplings were out of the ordinary. Because the meat is fried before it is mixed with the vegetables, Laobian's Dumplings are easier to cook than other kinds of dumplings.