I promise to connect this to writing during this post. First, I’m going to talk about something I mentioned on Monday. It appears that nearly every culture has some form of dumpling. Here I thought multiple cultures coming up with dragons was strange, but now we have a food. So, why is that?
Part of it could be the definition of dumpling. The most basic one is a meal/snack composed of a ball of dough with or without filling. Many people say that it needs to include fillings or it becomes a dessert. Not sure why a dessert doesn’t fall under snack, but whatever. The fillings can be meat, veggie, fruit, chocolate, nuts, cream, or whatever you manage to jam in there. Frying or baking tend to be involved as well. Finally, they aren’t always called a dumpling. Look at ravioli, pierogi, empanada, knish, wonton, and the list keeps going. Dumpling is a category.
The reason dumplings exist across the globe might not be as farfetched as one would think. The concept is simple and consists of frying or baking dough, which is the same as making bread. Bound to be someone that eventually considers jamming food within the bread. With dumplings being small, they can be an easy meal to transport when one has to travel. The right fillings give a person more nutrition than the bread, which can be helpful for many careers. Cooking dumplings might not take as long as bigger meals, so they can be done when time is short. Just a versatile category.
So, how does this relate to writing?
- If you’re writing a real-world story, it doesn’t hurt to know what kinds of dumplings are in your settings. Characters eat and we use meals as backdrops for plenty of scenes. A meal with dumplings can stand out since it isn’t done often. Well, people seem to do it with Chinese or Italian food, but now you know there are other options. This can give a little more flavor to your setting as well. A reader who comes from the associated culture could be ecstatic that their dumplings are included. Maybe that’s just me whenever I see a knish noted in a non-stereotypical way.
- If you’re writing fiction, you can create dumplings for your various cultures. Every race, kingdom, society, etc. may have their own version of this dish. This might be easier to explain since fictional races tend to interact, which can explain how the fried dough with filling concept spread. With adventurers, you can have them carry dumplings along instead of trail rations. Anyone who has played DnD knows that’s usually hard biscuits, jerky, nuts, and dried fruit. Dumplings could be a nice change for the heroes even if it’s temporary.
People might laugh at this topic, but food is an essential part of cultures. As authors, we need to be aware of this either to make real world stories correct or give more depth to fictional ones. If dumplings are something that can be found throughout Earth then it’s easy to see them existing on other planets. As long as you have bread and something to stuff into it, you can have a dumpling. We put sandwiches, soups, and salads in our stories without a second thought. Why not this category?
Legends of Windemere 
I think a scene where a couple is working on making or eating dumplings would be terrific. I agree with you; why exclude these items?
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Especially if you can make a real recipe to sell with the book.
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excellent.
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I’d certainly want to visit a dumpling shop – presumably when I’m hungry!
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I think I’d be hungry when I arrive. Lots of dumpling places in Chinatown sell frozen ones with cooking instructions.
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I’ve visited a fair number in SF.
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For some reason, my first comment didn’t go through, so I’m trying a second. This is great! I love dumplings—especially Asian style dumplings. I recently watched a video where a favorite author, Grace Lin, talked about how she describes food. She usually mentions the Cantonese names for dishes. It’s hard to read her books on an empty stomach!
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Your first comment went through. Just ended up on a different post. WordPress is being screwy today.
I can imagine needing a snack with that kind of writing.
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Wow that is so weird!
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You’re so right that foods are a key component of world building. You can imply things about the land and history by what kinds of food the characters eat.
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Especially with a multitude of dumplings. Now I’m just hungry.
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My wife made steamed dumplings a couple of times and they were wonderful. GOT had a side character called Hand Pie. I think more love for the dumpling is a great idea. Might be decent trail food for the first couple of days. You have me thinking. I did create a kitchen witch in my ongoing series. Her dumplings might have special traits, making them a substitute potion.
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Curious if dumplings could work as trail food. Maybe ones filled with nuts or fruit.
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Fried gyosa? Steamed pork buns? Not for weeks, but a few days. Hostess fruit pie lasts forever.
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Is that really made of fruit?
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The world may never know.
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