micropoetry / culinary poetics
Why We Should Pay Attention to the Understated Dumpling
wisdom of taste
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oh yield to tenderness in
silky wrap~~
luscious concocted soy
crushed
garlic scallions fennel
star anise nutmeg cassia bark
dark sugars rock sugar
melty crummmble~~
light nutty sesames in cohort
yummmos~~
strumming taste buds
remember bliss~~
drop. drop. drop
from soaring altitudes
flatten. flat. flat. flat.
flat
scrap all arrogance
scrap hot numbness
scrap burning fame
scrap all tough bits
scrap excess fat
veil
your glorious blossoms
yǎ¹. fēng²~~
all that's left
is rich gentle intense complex
umami
unraveled
unrivaled
dumpling of heritage
wisdom in taste
pertains to heart
not imposition
dumpling. people. humility.
© Pseu Pending (Seu) 2023
¹ yǎ: 雅 graceful, elegant, subtle beauty
² fēng: 豐 luxuriant, abundant
Zhong Dumplings
Who knew when Zhong Xiesen (鍾燮森) invented the original Zhong dumplings (鍾水餃) in 1893, this Sichuan culinary favorite would achieve Intangible Cultural Heritage status in Chengdu city in 2010? The first filled dumpling in China, though, has seen millennia of legendary nuggets, dating back to circa 2600 BCE, the early Eastern Han dynasty when dumplings traveled in bronze containers.
Chef Wilson Fam’s version respects the traditional characteristics of thin wrapping with juicy, tender minced pork. Yet by reversing a piled high vertical extension (a deconstructed version created by the famed Chef André Chiang as culinary director in another restaurant), his, with minimal height, presents maximum surface for embracing the flavorful sauce.
I specifically requested removing aggressive flavors — the red hot chili peppers common in this Sichuan dish. Chef, with a few stars under his belt, presented a diner’s euphoria.
wisdom in taste pertains to heart. in dumpling as in life
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