Millennials widen the appeal of Chinese dumplings in the West by experimenting with new fillings

In London, Vancouver and Seattle, Chinese immigrant millennials are taking dumplings, a Chinese food staple, to a new level

From a Macau-born MasterChef runner-up keeping things chilled, to frozen soup dumpling specialists backed by Simu Liu, we look at those leading the charge

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A Cantonese pork and chive dumpling at Dicky’s Dumps, run by Hong Kong-born millennials in Vancouver. We look at these and others looking to widen the appeal of the humble Chinese snack to diners in the West. Photo: Dicky’s Dumps

Bernice Chanin Vancouver

Published: 4:15am, 12 Apr 2024Updated: 11:30am, 19 Apr 2024

Made fresh by family members around the kitchen table or bought frozen from supermarkets, dumplings are a staple in many Chinese households.

Whether boiled, steamed or pan fried and dipped in Chinese black vinegar and perhaps some chilli sauce, they are easy to prepare and quickly satiate hunger pangs.

In the past few years, Chinese millennials who are first- or second-generation immigrants have taken the humble dumpling to the masses, in many cases retaining their traditional fillings while also experimenting with new ones.

Several speciality brands have popped up recently. These three, based in the UK capital London, Vancouver in Canada, and Seattle in the United States, are making dumplings more accessible.

Love Sum Dumplings, London

Love Sum Dumpling’s multicultural product range, from Nepalese momos to Chinese shrimp dumplings. Photo: Love Sum Dumplings

After she was named runner-up in MasterChef UK in 2020, Sandy Tang was figuring out what to do next. At the end of that year the Macau-born Tang started making dumplings, and officially launched them the following February.

Millennials widen the appeal of Chinese dumplings in the West by experimenting with new fillings

In London, Vancouver and Seattle, Chinese immigrant millennials are taking dumplings, a Chinese food staple, to a new level From a Macau-born MasterChef runner-up keeping things chilled, to frozen soup dumpling specialists backed by Simu Liu, we look at those leading the charge

Love Sum Dumplings, London

In London, Vancouver and Seattle, Chinese immigrant millennials are taking dumplings, a Chinese food staple, to a new level

From a Macau-born MasterChef runner-up keeping things chilled, to frozen soup dumpling specialists backed by Simu Liu, we look at those leading the charge