This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
My favourite kind of #summerreads book this week – stories AND recipes! What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings is a collection of personal essays each examining some form or other of a dumpling.
From the publisher:
Nearly every culture has a variation on the dumpling: histories, treatises, family legends, and recipes about the world’s favourite lump of carbs
If the world’s cuisines share one common food, it might be the dumpling, a dish that can be found on every continent and in every culinary tradition, from Asia to Central Europe to Latin America. Originally from China, they evolved into ravioli, samosas, momos, gyozas, tamales, pierogies, matzo balls, wontons, empanadas, potato chops, and many more.
In this unique anthology, food writers, journalists, culinary historians, and musicians share histories of their culture’s version of the dumpling, family dumpling lore, interesting encounters with these little delights, and even recipes to unwrap the magic of the world’s favourite dish.
With an introduction by Karon Liu. Illustrations by Meegan Lim.
Contributors include: Michal Stein, Christina Gonzales, Kristen Arnett, David Buchbinder, André Alexis, Miles Morrisseau, Angela Misri, Perry King, Sylvia Putz, Mekhala Chaubal, Arlene Chan, Chantal Braganza, Naomi Duguid, Eric Geringas, Matthew Murtagh-Wu, Monika Warzecha, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, Tatum Taylor Chaubal, Domenica Marchetti, Julie Van Rosendaal, Amy Rosen, Cheryl Thompson, Jennifer Jordan, Marie Campbell and Navneet Alang
Essays range from the very personal (memories of learning to make a dish with a beloved family member or recreating that dish when they are no longer around) to the technical (an examination of the Cornish Pasty – does it have to be from Cornwall*?) so it’s the kind of book you can skip around in depending on what you’re in the mood to read. The book itself is divided into three parts: Wrapper/ Filling/ Sauce and there are recipes (not for each essay) and line drawings throughout, making it an easy book to dip in and out of when you’re in summer reading mode!
Included is a “Not-at-all-complete list of dumplings around the world” listing dumpling varieties from each continent that will have you Googling recipes and information! The Table of Contents will whet your appetite (literally) for the essays and allows you to skip around the book according to what you’re interested in. I didn’t though – I read the entire book (in just about one sitting!).
I thoroughly enjoyed so many of the stories but perhaps my absolute favourite was Michal Stein’s Around the World, a story of a group of friends getting together for a dumpling party where they tried to have as many kinds of dimplings represented as possible. The tweeted image sparked a heated debate online – people have strong feelings about dumplings!
If you’re a dumpling-lover, this book is for you. Heck, if you’re a food lover, you’ll enjoy this exploration of a dish that spans many cultures (more than you think!). A highly recommended summer (or anytime read)
*and before you ask if a Cornish Pasty can truly be considered a dumpling, have you ever noticed the resemblance a Pasty has to a gyoza? For more pasty facts check out this site (it’s fascinating)
Buy What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
For free worldwide shipping, find What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings on Blackwell’s.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post also contains a Blackwell’s affiliate link. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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