The Taste of Childhood - Water Celery Dumplings

Water celery, also known as wild celery, is typically found in water—commonly seen along rural riverbanks or beside rice fields. As a child, I would often spot clusters of water celery by the small river near my home, and I always picked some to take back for my mother to make dumplings. The rich, fragrant taste has lingered in my memory... However, after moving away from the countryside for decades, it became rare to encounter it again, and I even mixed it up with the wild vegetable 'big leaf celery' that grows in the mountains. One day at the morning market, I was delighted to find a rural woman selling water celery and eagerly bought a few bundles. After blanching some and freezing the rest, I wrapped them into dumplings, bringing back the familiar taste of home... Rather than merely documenting this recipe, it feels more like a search for the nostalgia of my childhood on my palate. In this moment, my thoughts flow gently, sometimes close, sometimes distant, clear yet dim—fragments of memories flickering around me, reminiscent of my childhood: that mountain, that sea, that village, and those people...

Materials

Water Celery	As required
Pork	As required

How To Make

This season, fresh corn husks are just right; trimmed, they provide a hygienic and tasty way to steam dumplings!
Mix flour with salt and water, knead into a smooth dough, and let it rest for 30 minutes (use 80-90°C hot water for steaming, and cold water for boiling dumplings).
Finely chop ginger and green onions and set aside.
Chop the pork into mince, add soy sauce, vegetable oil, cooking wine, chopped ginger, garlic, chicken essence, and pepper powder, and stir in one direction.
Remove the tough roots from the water celery bought at the morning market.
Wash thoroughly.
Blanch the water celery in boiling water until it changes color.
Drain and cool it down in cold water.
Squeeze out excess water and chop finely.
Add the chopped water celery to the minced meat.
Add an appropriate amount of salt and mix well.
Wash and drain the chives; only a small amount is needed for seasoning.
Chop finely.
Finally, add the chives to the filling, drizzle with a little oil, and gently mix.
Mix everything together well.
Divide the rested dough into small pieces and roll each into a wrapper.
Place the filling inside and press down firmly.
Wrap the dumplings.
Place the dumplings into a pot of cold water.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat to steam for 15 minutes, followed by a 5-minute resting period.
Ready to serve!
The aroma I haven't smelled in years...
The flavor of water celery is incredibly rich!
Using cold water to make the dough makes the dumplings even more delicious! 😋

The Taste of Childhood - Water Celery Dumplings

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