Gyouza

Hmmm.  Something has changed on my Blogger account but I can't figure out what.  The "create" page is completely different.  I wonder if this is going to go through...

Yesterday was a holiday in Japan and Tetsu and I made use of the extra day by going to a gyouza festival for lunch and then off to another onsen (hot spa).

Gyouza is a type of Chinese dumpling filled with vegetables and meat and usually served with a spicy soy sauce vinegar sauce.  Since the city next to us specializes in gyouza we end up eating it a lot!  (And LOVE it!)  Yesterday Tetsu and I each ate 20 gyouza!  (I think 6 is considered a serving.)  We skipped dinner.

I have made gyouza by hand as most supermarkets sell ready made gyouza wrappers.  Chop up cabbage and Chinese cabbage and leeks and green onions and carrots and garlic and ginger.  Add ground meat and sesame seed oil and egg and soy sauce.  Mix it all up and wrap a spoonful in the gyouza wrapper.  Making gyouza is a lot of work (and each family will have Mom's special gyouza) but as the city specializes in gyouza I rarely make my own anymore.  Gyouza restaurants and frozen gyouza are prevalent.  Yesterday at the festival there were at least 10 different gyouza booths from the famous gyouza shops in town.

(By the way, Leiya reports that gyouza at one of the popular Chinese fast food places in the States is NOT authentic gyouza, though the other Chinese dishes are pretty good.)

I'm still full from yesterday's gyouza spree.  We need to go on a diet from today...