Confucius Institute to present making dumplings cooking class Sept. 17

            In China, making and eating dumplings (Chinese name -- jiaozi) is an important activity for most families on New Year's Eve. Serving them is believed to bring prosperity. The festival dumplings are always made before midnight and eaten during the last hour of the old year and the first hour of the lunar new year.

            The Confucius Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will bring that tradition to UNL's East Campus on Sept. 17 when it offers a “making dumplings cooking class” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Ruth Levertson Hall, 35th Street north of East Campus Loop.

            Dumplings are a versatile food that can be eaten all year round and at any time of the day -- breakfast, lunch or dinner. They can constitute any course of a meal, acting as an appetizer, side dish or the main course. As a popular dish in homes, each family has its own preferred method of preparation to make dumplings and use ingredients that vary widely from region to region. Chinese dumplings may be divided into various categories depending on how they are cooked. The most common types are boiled dumplings, steamed dumplings, and pan fried dumplings (often called potstickers).

            In this class, participants will get hands-on experience in how to make these three kinds of dumplings using various types of fillings and everyone is open to sample others' end results. A $30 registration fee covers all course materials, handouts, ingredients and soft drinks.

            Contact Angela Rystrom at 402-472-5370 or by email to register. Class size is limited to the first 20 people to register with full payment. This is the first course offered by the Confucius Institute in a series of classes to feature Chinese cooking. The next class will be Nov. 26.

Writer: Angela Rystrom