Gyoza 餃子
Dumplings filled with minced pork, cabbage and nira chives, usually pan-fried until crisp underneath. They came from Chinese jiaozi and became popular in Japan after the Second World War.
About Gyoza
- What it is: Thin-skinned dumplings. Yaki gyoza, fried then steamed, are by far the most common; boiled and deep-fried versions also exist.
- Utsunomiya: The capital of Tochigi has around 300 restaurants serving gyoza, each with its own recipe, and holds a gyoza festival every November.
- Hamamatsu: In this Shizuoka city, gyoza are arranged in a circle with bean sprouts in the middle, and the filling brings out the sweetness of cabbage. Hamamatsu and Utsunomiya compete each year for the top spot in household gyoza spending.
- Where to try it: Gyoza specialists, ramen shops, Chinese restaurants and izakaya. A plate of about six usually costs around 300 to 600 yen.
- How to eat it: Mix soy sauce and vinegar in equal parts at the table, with chilli oil (rayu) if you like.
SeasonAll year
Checked against: Gyoza | japan-guide.com · Japan's Food Culture | Highlighting Japan, Government of Japan · Get to Know Hamamatsu | Hamamatsu City Tourism.
Gyoza on Shibuya246
No photos of this one on the blog yet. The notes above come from official and food-guide sources and are checked every quarter. Our own photos will appear here once we've written about it.