Journal of Culture Conversation Partner Group

Date: 9/14/2006
Time: 3:30~8:30(p.m.)
Place: Peter’s Home (Southern Hill)
Person: Peter, Jay, Chen, Garth, Jiana, Wendy (Peter’s wife)
Writer: Peter

This week, I invited my culture conversation partners to the dumpling party in my apartment in order to let Garth and Jiana to observe and learn Chinese culture food from real life. Chinese Dumpling is one of the Chinese culture delicacies and becomes one of the most widely loved foods in the world. Besides, Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. Traditionally, the members of a family will get together to make dumplings during the New Year's Eve. They may hide a coin in one of the dumplings. The person who finds the coin will likely have a good fortune in the New Year. Chinese dumpling is also popular in other Chinese holidays or festivals, so it is part of the Chinese culture or tradition.
You can make a variety of Chinese dumplings using different fillings based on your taste and how various ingredients mixed together by you. In addition, Chinese Dumpling can be cooked in many ways such as fire dumpling, boiled dumpling, steam dumpling, soup dumpling and so on. This time we select pork and chicken for the main meat. Both Garth and Jiana are first time to make dumpling, so I show them four kinds dumpling that include fire dumpling, boiled dumpling, steam dumpling, and soup dumpling.Moreover, Jay brings Taiwan’s famous drink and beef soup and Garth brings American chips and sauces .
We started from made fillings and mixed ingredients. And then, we wrapped the ingredients in dumpling skins that spend two hours in made dumpling. Next, we cook four kind’s dumpling and one kind soup.
Finally, we can start enjoy our booty. In the same time, we discuss different issues about Taiwan’s and American’s living culture. Garth invited us to his house for American style outside Barbeque next Thursday when the ending of meeting.