Zhong Sui Jiao (钟水饺) — Zhong's Chilli Dumplings

Overview

Zhong sui jiao (钟水饺) are the small, smooth-skinned pork dumplings of Chengdu street food culture — created by the Zhong family restaurant which opened in 1931 in Chengdu's Zhuyun Alley. They are distinguished from northern Chinese jiaozi by their thinner, smoother skin (made with hot-water dough), their sweeter pork filling, and above all their distinctive dipping sauce of chilli oil, soy sauce, and garlic water — no vinegar. The sweetness of the pork against the mala heat of the sauce is the defining experience.

Key Principles

The hot-water dough (tang mian): 200g plain flour + 100ml just-boiled water. Mix with chopsticks while water is steaming hot, then knead until smooth. Hot water partially cooks the starch, producing a more pliable, translucent, slightly more tender skin than cold-water dough. Rest 30 minutes covered.

The filling: Pure minced pork (20-30% fat). Season with ginger juice, Shaoxing wine, salt, and a small amount of sugar. No garlic, no egg, no cornstarch — deliberately simple.

The dipping sauce: Chilli oil with sediment, light soy sauce, a small amount of raw garlic juice. No vinegar — the Zhong school specifically omits vinegar.

Cooking: Boil in abundant salted water until they float and the skin is cooked through.

Common Mistakes

Using cold-water dough: Produces a firmer, chewier skin inconsistent with the Zhong style. Adding vinegar to the sauce: The Zhong tradition specifically omits vinegar.

Source

Fuchsia Dunlop, The Food of Sichuan (2019)