The 20 Best Dumplings in the World
Every culture works out the same thing eventually: wrap something good in dough and it gets better. From Georgia’s soup-filled khinkali to Poland’s buttery pierogi, these are the 20 best dumplings in the world, each with an authentic recipe.
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Xiaolongbao
ChinaSoup inside the dumpling, from jellied stock that melts as it steams. Eighteen pleats is the standard.
Meet Xiaolongbao, the delicate soup dumplings that have become one of China's most celebrated bites. Beneath a thin, pleated wrapper sits a parcel of savoury filling and a burst of hot, fragrant broth that floods the mouth with …
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Khinkali
GeorgiaA twisted knob of dough holding broth and spiced meat. You hold the top and never eat it.
Discover Khinkali, the pleated dumplings that Georgians treat as a national treasure. Each one holds a spoonful of juicy, herb-flecked filling sealed inside a soft, hand-twisted wrapper. Eating them is half the fun: you grip the …
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Pierogi
PolandHalf-moons of potato and curd cheese, boiled then fried in butter with onions.
Discover Pierogi, the beloved filled dumplings that stand at the very heart of Polish cooking. These tender parcels of dough wrap around a whole world of fillings, from savoury potato and cheese to minced meat, sauerkraut, …
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Gyoza
JapanThin-skinned, pan-fried flat then steamed, so one side crisps and the rest stays soft.
Say hello to Gyoza, Japan's very good little dumplings with a crisp, golden base and a juicy, savoury filling tucked inside. Each delicate parcel wraps tender meat and finely chopped vegetables in a thin, pleated wrapper, then …
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Momos
NepalSteamed parcels of buffalo or vegetable with tomato and chilli chutney, eaten across the Himalaya.
Meet Momo, the little steamed parcels that have captured the heart of Nepal. These juicy, filled dumplings are wrapped in a thin, delicate dough and packed with a savoury mixture lifted by warm, exotic spices. Whether steamed, …
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Pelmeni
RussiaSmall meat dumplings, made in batches and frozen outdoors. Siberia invented the freezer.
Pelmeni are small meat dumplings, boiled and eaten with soured cream or vinegar. In Siberia they were made in enormous batches in autumn and frozen outdoors in sacks, then thrown into boiling water as needed through the winter.
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Mantı
TurkeyTiny lamb parcels under garlic yoghurt and hot butter. Kayseri counts forty to a spoon.
Meet Manti, the little filled parcels that sit at the very heart of Turkish home cooking. These dainty pockets of dough are stuffed with spiced minced meat and baked until golden and crisp, making them every bit as welcome as a …
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Varenyky
UkraineUkrainian dumplings of potato, cherry or cheese, served with soured cream.
Meet Varenyky, the filled dumplings that sit at the very heart of the Ukrainian table. Soft parcels of tender dough wrap around a huge range of fillings, from silky potato mash to plump sweet cherries and tangy cheese, making them …
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Mandu
South KoreaKorean dumplings, steamed or fried, with kimchi and tofu in the filling.
Meet Mandu, the much-loved Korean dumpling that brings a little comfort to any table. These tender parcels of dough wrap around all manner of fillings, savoury meat, crisp vegetables or silky tofu, and can be steamed, pan-fried or …
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Buuz
MongoliaSteamed mutton dumplings eaten in the hundreds at Mongolian New Year.
Buuz are steamed dumplings filled with mutton and onion, and Mongolians eat them by the dozen at Tsagaan Sar, the lunar new year. Households make several thousand in advance and freeze them outside, which in a Mongolian February …
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Cepelinai
LithuaniaZeppelins of grated potato around minced pork, served with bacon and soured cream.
Cepelinai are named after zeppelins because of their shape, and they are heavy enough to justify it. Raw grated potato is squeezed dry, mixed with cooked potato, wrapped around a meat filling and boiled. Two per person is …
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Gnocchi
ItalyPotato and flour, worked as little as possible. Overhandled dough makes bullets.
Pillowy, tender and endlessly comforting, Gnocchi are one of the great treasures of Italian home cooking. These little potato dumplings have a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a remarkable knack for soaking up whatever sauce …
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Kazakh Manti
KazakhstanLarger steamed parcels of minced lamb and pumpkin, folded into a square.
Discover Manti, the beloved national dish of Kazakhstan. These tender steamed dumplings are filled with a fragrant blend of minced meat and onions, then gently cooked over steam until wonderfully juicy. Deeply rooted in the …
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Knedlíky
CzechiaBread or potato dumplings sliced with thread, served to soak up Czech sauces.
Say hello to Knedlíky, the soft, pillowy dumplings that sit at the very heart of Czech home cooking. Boiled rather than baked and sliced into neat rounds, they are the classic partner to a rich meaty sauce or a bowl of steaming …
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Empanadas
ArgentinaBaked or fried pastries of beef, olive and egg. The crimp shows what is inside.
Discover Empanadas de Carne, one of Argentina's most beloved bites. These savoury filled pastries are simple to make at home, packing seasoned beef mince, onions and peppers into a golden, crimped parcel. They are the sort of food …
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Kroppkakor
SwedenPotato dumplings with salt pork, served with lingonberry and melted butter.
Meet Kroppkakor, one of Sweden's most comforting country classics. These plump potato dumplings hide a savoury filling of pork and onion, and they turn up wherever Swedes gather to share a hearty, homely meal. Served with a …
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Dampfnudeln
GermanyYeast dumplings steamed in a covered pan until the base caramelises into a crust.
Meet Dampfnudeln, a treasured classic of southern German cooking. These soft, pillowy yeast dumplings are gently steamed until they turn wonderfully light and airy, then served with a silky vanilla sauce. Equally at home as a …
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Marillenknödel
AustriaWhole apricots in potato dough, rolled in buttered breadcrumbs and sugar.
Few sweets capture the spirit of an Austrian summer quite like apricot dumplings. Tender parcels of soft dough cradle a whole ripe apricot, then roll in golden, buttery breadcrumbs and a snowfall of icing sugar. Light yet …
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Coxinha
BrazilShredded chicken in dough shaped like a drumstick, breaded and fried. Brazil's favourite snack.
Say hello to Coxinha, one of Brazil's best-loved street-food snacks. These golden, teardrop-shaped morsels hide a savoury chicken filling beneath a wonderfully crisp coating, making them a firm favourite at parties, bakeries and …
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Modak
IndiaSteamed rice-flour parcels of coconut and jaggery, offered to Ganesha and then eaten.
Meet Modak, one of India's most cherished sweets and a true festive treat. These delicate, pleated dumplings are made from soft rice flour and filled with a fragrant mixture of coconut and jaggery. More than a simple pudding, …
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