By: Izzy Cheung, Arts & Culture Editor
This summer, Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park hosted the 3rd annual BC Dumpling Festival. As an avid foodie, I went to check out this festival with my family expecting to find more luscious local eateries and mouth-watering treats. However, as I perused the colourful stations, I came across a story with a flavour even deeper than what was provided by their plump chicken Jiaozi, also known as potstickers.
With a bright orange banner decorated with adorable characters in bun-like forms, Jiaozi.com stuck out for more reasons than just their décor. Situated under their tent was a flat-top grill, where a swarm of potstickers could be seen steaming up a storm, their smell wafting throughout the festival grounds. Drawn in by the smell of yummy steamed dumplings and the smiling aunties who worked the till, I pulled out my phone to research the vendors.
Jiaozi (jau-zee) is a Chinese staple referring to dumplings that have become most prevalent around the Lunar New Year or Mid-Autumn Festival. The pronunciation of this dish is similar to a phrase meaning “transition from old to new,” which has made it a more popular dish to be sampled during these holidays. They’re typically filled with a type of ground meat and served with a sauce filled with a slight tang of vinegar. It’s a simple dish that Jiaozi.com executes with an artfully crafted story.
On their website, Jiaozi.com’s mission statement is clear — and that’s “to raise awareness of anti-Asian racist discrimination and violent attacks on seniors.” They do this by making bao, with their proceeds going towards East Asian elders who were affected by racially-motivated attacks that occurred on April 11, 2021, and the Canadian Caring Community Alliance. Their social media and online presence are permeated by eye-opening stories from East Asian seniors about being attacked. Not everything is negative, however, as they also share recaps of some of their volunteering events, a truly tight-knit community.
I made sure to order some of Jiaozi.com’s specialty — their jiaozi, of course! — as well as one of their adorable character buns filled with red bean paste. They had a small display of each of their character baos next to the till, with the designs ranging from cute chickens to Pokémon like Drifblim. The food came out quickly despite the heat from the beating sun and the small line ahead of me.
Once I collected my dumplings, my family and I took a seat under the shade of a nearby tree. We were going to grab some sauce for the dumplings, but took a bite out of one and decided that it didn’t even need it. The jiaozi were packed with flavour and filling. The ground chicken was salty without being too overpowering, and the vegetables inside were still slightly crunchy. Every corner of the dumpling had filling in it — there were no open pockets of just the doughy wrapper. Our red bean bao came in the shape of a wide-eyed frog, wrapping the paste in a soft yet warm hug.
While Jiaozi.com’s dumplings are definitely delicious, there’s much more to this bao shop than what meets the eye. Their dedication to amplifying the voices and stories of East Asian seniors in Canada is admirable, and the fact that they do so while making dishes that these elders perfected in their respective countries acts as a tender love song to the growth that emerges from each generation. Elderly immigrants have helped us first-and-second generation immigrants establish our roots in Canada, and it’s heartwarming to see the favour returned.
Check out @jiaozi_official on Instagram to see which events they’ll be at next!
