Japanese pan-fried dumplings with a thin wrapper filled with ground meat and vegetables, typically pork and cabbage, served with a dipping sauce.
From Japanese 'gyōza,' borrowed from Chinese 'jiǎozi' during the post-World War II period when Japanese soldiers returned from China. The Japanese adapted the Chinese dumpling by making the wrapper thinner and developing the pan-frying technique.
Gyoza became popular in Japan after WWII when soldiers returning from Manchuria craved the Chinese dumplings they'd eaten there! Japanese cooks perfected the 'potsticker' method—pan-frying the bottom for crispiness, then steaming the top, creating that perfect contrast of textures that makes gyoza so addictive.
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