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If you love dumplings, pierogies, and stuffed pasta, then you’ve probably heard of “gyoza”. It’s one of Japan’s best-known pan-fried dumplings!
Many people think dumplings are 1 specific round dough ball stuffed with meat and vegetables. However, that’s not the case.
Dumplings are a whole food category, and gyoza is a type of dumpling.
Here, let me explain the difference.
The difference between a dumpling and gyoza is that dumplings are a category of dough stuffed with various sweet or savory ingredients like meat and vegetables. Dumplings are most popular in China. Gyoza, however, is a Japanese type of half-moon-shaped steamed and then pan-fried dumplings filled with ground pork and veggies.
In this post we'll cover:
Dumplings and gyoza explained
Dumplings aren’t one specific dish. Rather, the term “dumpling” encompasses a broad range of pieces of dough wrapped around a filling or cooked dough without any filling.
Dumplings are a popular category in Asian cuisine, especially Chinese and Japanese. In terms of flavor, dumplings can be savory or sweet, and common fillings include meat, vegetables, fish, cheese, fruit, or sweet pastes.
Dumplings can be steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried.
Gyoza, however, is a specific type of Japanese dumpling. It has a half-moon shape, a thin dough wrapper, and is steamed then pan-fried.
Traditional gyoza is filled with minced pork and vegetables like napa cabbage. But these days, gyoza wrappers are filled with all kinds of ingredients like seafood, vegetables, and beef or chicken.
Another one of my favorite dumplings is takoyaki. Find 6 delicious takoyaki recipes here!
What’s the difference between gyoza and dumplings?
Filling
As I mentioned earlier, gyoza is a Japanese type of dumpling. But if we compare gyoza to Chinese dumplings, the main difference is the filling.
While gyoza wrappers are usually filled with ground pork, cabbage, spring onion, minced garlic, and ginger and then are dipped into a soy-based sauce, dumplings can contain a whole variety of ingredients.
Dough/wrapper
As well, gyoza filling is wrapped in a thin wheat flour dough, while some dumplings like Chinese xiao long bao have large, thicker dough dumpling wrappers.
Many of the world’s favorite dumplings are made of wheat flour. However, gyoza is commonly made from pre-fabricated thin wrappers.
The wrappers are quite delicate and a bit harder to fold and mold into shape because of their fine texture.
Shape and cooking method
The shape of gyoza is that of a half-moon with pleated edges, and the dumplings are long but not very big. In fact, gyoza is about a bite or 2 smaller than the average Chinese potsticker or steamed dumpling.
Dumplings come in all shapes, but round and bucket dumplings are most popular. Gyoza-like shapes are also common.
Gyoza wrappers are stuffed, steamed in a bamboo steamer, and then pan-fried in oil for a few minutes until they develops a crispy exterior.
You can also find age-gyoza, which are deep-fried dumplings, and sui-gyoza, which are boiled in water.
Of course, pan or teppan-fried dumplings and deep-fried ones have a fantastic crunchy texture and a soft, tender interior, and they’re extra yummy!
Flavor & how they’re served
The reason that gyoza is considered different from jiaozi (the most similar Chinese dumpling) is that the flavors are more subtle to suit the Japanese palate. Chinese seasonings are often spicy and strong-flavored, whereas the Japanese generally prefer mild foods.
Thus, gyoza is often served with a simple soy sauce dip. Some gyoza sauce recipes indeed call for chili pepper flakes to add some spice, but the most common gyoza dipping sauce is made with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and a hint of garlic.
Other dumplings are served with chili oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, or other spicy sauces.
If you don’t have rice vinegar, don’t worry. You can use one of the substitutes I mention through that link!
If you want to know how to make the juiciest pork dumplings, then check out this video:
Origin
Another difference between the 2 is their age and location. Chinese dumplings were invented in Northern China. The dumplings (jiaozi) were invented more than 1,000 years ago.
Compared to jiaozi, gyoza’s a recent or modern invention of the 1940s (World War II) era. Soldiers returning from the war brought back dumpling recipes and modified the fillings to include Japanese spices and flavors.
Chinese vs. Japanese dumplings
Gyoza isn’t quite a uniquely Japanese invention. It was adapted from Chinese jiaozi dumplings.
But instead of a bucket-shaped steamed dumpling with a pork filling, gyoza is half-moon shaped and contains minced pork and cabbage.
Some of the world’s most common dumplings are Chinese.
Usually, Chinese dumplings are called potstickers, and they’re compared to Japanese gyoza because that’s Japan’s most common type of doughy dumpling.
The difference between Chinese and Japanese dumplings (gyoza) is that Chinese potstickers have a thicker dough or wrapper. That’s because the potstickers are usually cooked with steam.
Gyoza has a thinner wrapper so it’s easily fried on a Japanese teppan griddle.
Learn more: 3 main differences between Chinese food vs Japanese food explained
Different types of dumplings
There are many types of dumplings, and each one is unique in that the fillings are different, the thickness of the dough varies, and they’re cooked differently. In many Western restaurants, dumplings are called potstickers.
Let’s take a look at the most famous dumplings in Asia and America.
Shiu jiao or jiaozi
This is a water-boiled dumpling usually stuffed with meat like ground beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, or leeks and onion for a vegetarian version.
The dumpling is long with ruffled edges, similar to gyoza. In fact, the gyoza is inspired by this popular Chinese dumpling!
The dumplings are usually steamed or boiled only.
Banh bot loc
These are the most popular Vietnamese dumplings and are eaten as appetizers before meals. The dumplings are unique because the fillings are wrapped in tapioca.
Usually, banh bot loc is filled with shrimp and pork belly, and is dipped in sweet chili sauce.
Gyoza
Traditional Japanese gyoza dumplings are filled with minced pork or shrimp and vegetables like cabbage and green onion.
The steamed and pan-fried dumplings made of wheat flour dough are molded into half-moons with ruffled edges.
Mandu
These are popular Korean dumplings that are cooked in various ways.
They can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, and even deep-fried. The most common fillings are minced pork and beef.
Each dumpling has a round boat shape and is served with a spicy dipping sauce and kimchi.
Wonton
Wonton dumplings have a flat shape and they’re added to wonton soup. They’re a Chinese dumpling and wonton wrappers are usually stuffed with shrimp, shrimp paste, or a combination of minced pork and shrimp.
The dumplings are either steamed or deep-fried to add lots of crunch to soups. You can also eat them with chili sauce.
Also check out this Pancit molo recipe (Chinese-influenced Filipino wonton soup)
Xiao long bao
These are big Chinese dumplings with a dome shape and perfectly shaped edges. You’ll find these dumplings as a staple of dim sum.
They’re healthy steamed dumplings commonly filled with soup and pork. These dumplings are also called “steamed buns” because they have thicker dough wrappers.
Guo tie
Guo tie is very popular in American restaurants. These dumplings are pan-fried potstickers mainly served as appetizers.
They have a gyoza-like half-moon shape, except the shape isn’t as defined and is a bit thicker. The common fillings for these dumplings are ground meat (pork, chicken, or beef) and vegetables.
The potstickers are served with soy sauce.
Which dumplings do you love?
All dumpling lovers will understand that each dumpling has a unique flavor profile, texture, and shape.
Sure, they’re all great; but of course, some are just a bit more superior.
It all comes down to preference. Some love them steamed, and some prefer fried dumplings.
If you prefer the crunchy texture of the steamed and fried dough, you’ll love gyoza. But if you want a healthy steamed or boiled dumpling, you might like some of the Chinese dumplings more.
Make sure to try them all!
For more great culinary ideas, here are 43 of the best, most delicious & unusual Asian food to try
Ever had trouble finding Japanese recipes that were easy to make?
We now have "cooking Japanese with ease", our full recipe book and video course with step-by-step tutorials on your favorite recipes.
