10 Dumplings Around the World We Want to Eat Immediately 🥟🌎

There may be no greater proof that humanity occasionally gets things exactly right than the dumpling.

Take some dough. Stuff it, fold it, wrap it, boil it, steam it, fry it, bake it or drop it into something delicious. Cultures around the world have been creating their own versions for generations, and frankly, we would like to try all of them.

So grab the chopsticks, fork, spoon or whatever gets the job done.

Here are 10 dumplings from around the world we want to eat immediately.

1. 🇨🇳 Xiaolongbao | China

These delicate steamed dumplings are famous for the delicious surprise hiding inside: hot, savory broth along with a meat filling.

Xiaolongbao are traditionally steamed in bamboo baskets and require a little strategy before eating. Bite recklessly into one and that soup may remind you who’s in charge.

Why we want one: Soup. Inside. A dumpling. Humanity could have stopped inventing things right there.

2. 🇯🇵 Gyoza | Japan

Crispy on the bottom. Tender on top. Juicy in the middle.

Japanese gyoza are commonly filled with ground meat and vegetables, then pan-fried and steamed to create that glorious combination of textures.

Add a dipping sauce and suddenly ordering one plate seems like poor planning.

Why we want one: That crispy-bottom-meets-juicy-filling combination gets us every time.

3. 🇵🇱 Pierogi | Poland

Pierogi are pure comfort food.

These Polish dumplings can be filled with combinations such as potato and cheese, meat, mushrooms, sauerkraut or even fruit. They’re commonly boiled and can also be pan-fried, then served with toppings such as butter, onions or sour cream.

Why we want one: Potato and cheese wrapped in dough feels less like a recipe and more like an act of kindness.

4. 🇮🇹 Ravioli | Italy

We’re counting ravioli.

Yes, someone will object. The internet will survive. 😂

Pasta dough wrapped around fillings such as cheese, meat, vegetables or seafood certainly sounds dumpling-adjacent to us. Add a fantastic sauce and we’re not wasting precious eating time debating terminology.

Why we want one: Because cheese-filled pasta covered in sauce has yet to present us with a compelling downside.

5. 🇳🇵 Momo | Nepal

Momo are dumplings widely associated with Nepal and neighboring Himalayan regions, and they can be steamed or fried and filled with meat or vegetables.

But the dipping sauces and chutneys served alongside them can be every bit as important as what’s inside.

Why we want one: Delicious dumpling + flavorful dipping sauce = extremely sound mathematics.

6. 🇬🇪 Khinkali | Georgia

Khinkali are big, beautifully pleated Georgian dumplings traditionally filled with seasoned meat and juices.

There’s technique involved here, too. They’re generally picked up by the doughy top, carefully bitten and the flavorful juices enjoyed before finishing the filling and wrapper.

Why we want one: They’re substantial, juicy and look like something we’d happily organize an entire meal around.

7. 🇰🇷 Mandu | Korea

Korean mandu come in all kinds of forms and can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried.

Fillings vary, often combining meat, tofu, vegetables, kimchi and other ingredients.

Which preparation is best?

This sounds like a question requiring extensive hands-on research. For science.

Why we want one: Variety. Give us crispy mandu today and steamed mandu tomorrow. We are willing to make this sacrifice.

8. 🇦🇷 Empanadas | Argentina

Here comes argument number two.

Are empanadas technically dumplings?

We’re including them because delicious filling enclosed in dough is close enough for a list whose primary scientific standard is “Do we want to eat it?”

Argentine empanadas can be filled with beef, chicken, cheese and numerous regional combinations, then baked or fried.

Why we want one: Portable pockets of deliciousness are one of civilization’s better concepts.

9. 🇩🇪 Maultaschen | Germany

Think big German filled pasta pockets and you’re heading in the right direction.

Maultaschen are associated particularly with the Swabian region of Germany and traditionally contain a savory filling wrapped in pasta dough. They can be served in broth or prepared in other ways, including sliced and pan-fried.

Why we want one: Somewhere between pasta, dumpling and comfort food is a neighborhood we’re quite happy living in.

10. 🇺🇸 Chicken and Dumplings | United States

We’re finishing at home with a completely different interpretation of the dumpling.

American chicken and dumplings typically pair tender chicken and a rich, comforting broth or gravy with soft pieces of dumpling dough cooked right in the pot.

No fancy pleating. No dipping sauce. No chopstick technique required.

Just a bowl of unapologetic comfort food.

Why we want it: On a cold New England day, a steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings sounds pretty close to perfect.

The World Needs More Dumplings

That’s ten, and we’ve barely scratched the surface.

That’s part of what makes food so much fun. Different places take wonderfully simple ideas and turn them into something completely their own.

Steamed. Fried. Boiled. Baked.

Filled with meat. Cheese. Vegetables. Potatoes. Broth.

We’ll take one of each.

Actually, make that two.

🥟 Which one are you eating first? And what dumpling did we absolutely miss?

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