Jiaozi (simplified Chinese: 饺子; traditional Chinese: 餃子; pinyin: jiǎo zi; [tɕjàʊ.tsɹ̩] ) are a type of Chinese dumpling. Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. Jiaozi can be boiled (水餃; shuǐjiǎo), steamed (蒸餃; zhēngjiǎo), pan-fried (煎餃; jiānjiǎo), deep-fried (炸餃; zhàjiǎo), or baked (烤餃; kǎojiǎo), and are traditionally served with a black vinegar and sesame oil dip. They can also be served in a soup (湯餃; tāngjiǎo). Jiaozi have great cultural significance within China. Jiaozi are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year throughout northern China and eaten all year round in the northern provinces. Their resemblance to the gold and silver ingots (sycee) used in Imperial China has meant that they symbolize wealth and good fortune.
A Japanese variety of jiaozi is referred to as gyōza. Jiaozi was introduced to Japan by the return of millions of Japanese colonizers from China following the end of World War II (specifically the Second Sino-Japanese War). In the West, pan-fried jiaozi or jianjiao may be referred to as potstickers, derived from the Chinese word guōtiē (鍋貼; 'pot stick'). This is a misnomer, however, as "potsticker" in its original usage in northern China refers to a specific type of dumpling considered distinct from the jiaozi.
