Caiji Steamed Dumplings 蔡记蒸饺

Caiji Steamed Dumplings (蔡记蒸饺) are a Henan (河南) speciality documented by the Zhengzhou (郑州) culture and tourism authority. The traditional filling combines three parts fatty meat with seven parts lean meat, beaten with water and seasonings into a juicy mixture. Each dumpling is expected to have twelve or thirteen pleats, giving the finished pieces a carefully controlled shape.

A mixed dough wrapper

The filling includes minced ginger, cooking wine, sesame oil, salt and MSG. For the wrappers, hot-water dough is combined with unleavened dough and repeatedly kneaded before use. The resulting dumplings are glossy, with broth and oil flowing from the filling.

The Caiji name

Founder Cai Shijun (蔡士俊) came from Changyuan (长垣). The municipal account traces his work to a small restaurant outside Beijing’s (北京) Qianmen (前门), where he developed steamed dumplings and wontons as companion dishes.

An expanded dumpling selection

Caiji later developed fillings such as shrimp, ginger juice, celery and sweet bean paste for a dumpling banquet. Further additions included preserved meicai greens (梅菜), onion, mixed fillings and Longjing shrimp (龙井虾), extending the range beyond its original meat dumpling.