Crescent dumplings of thin wheat dough around pork and chives or cabbage, boiled and dipped in black vinegar with garlic.
What makes it jiaozi
Wrappers rolled by hand, thicker in the centre so they don't split.
Boiled, not steamed — a splash of cold water added each time the pot boils up.
Black vinegar with garlic to dip.
Where it comes from
Dumplings like these have been made in northern China for well over a thousand years, and they're the food of the Spring Festival across the north: families fold them together on New Year's Eve, their shape said to recall old silver ingots.
In Beijing they're everyday food too, sold by weight in small shops. The dough is rolled into rounds by hand, one at a time, thin at the edge and thicker in the middle.
How it varies
Guōtiē
Potstickers: the same dumplings, fried on one side and steamed in the pan.
Cabbage and pork
The winter filling, with napa cabbage salted and squeezed.