Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings 饺子粑
Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings is featured among the local specialties of Jiangxi.
Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings (饺子粑) are thin-skinned, filled snacks steamed in a steamer basket in Jingdezhen (景德镇), Jiangxi, brought to the city by migrants from Duchang (都昌).
How it is made
China National Radio's Jiangxi service describes thin wrappers folded around all kinds of fillings and set in a steamer; once cooked, the filling shows faintly through the skin. Some cooks then fry the steamed dumplings briefly in oil, which gives them a different flavour.
The fillings split into spicy and mild. The spicy kind is usually shredded radish with chilli; the mild kinds are chives with tofu or chives with egg. Dried tofu and bean sprouts are among the other fillings, and which to pick is left to personal taste.
How it is eaten
People in Jingdezhen usually eat Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings for breakfast and as a late-night snack. The spicy filling is made to Jingdezhen taste, and the same feature warns that for anyone not used to chilli it can bring tears to the eyes. In 2014 it named the dumplings of Daijialong (戴家弄) as the best known in the city.
Where it comes from
The dumplings come from the people of Duchang. According to China National Radio, many Duchang people historically migrated to Jingdezhen, enough for the city to be called "都昌人的码头", the Duchang people's wharf. They shaped the city's language and culture and brought their food with them, and Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings are one of those dishes.
Questions before you order
Are Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings spicy?
Only some. China National Radio says the shredded radish and chilli filling is the spicy one, while the chive-and-tofu and chive-and-egg fillings are not spicy.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-26. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- A common version of Jiaoziba Steamed Dumplings · 饺子粑常见做法参考照片。Photo: Emcc83 · CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.
