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Green Onions (Scallions)

If you can find long, slender Japanese leeks

(called naganegi) in your local Asian market,

they are preferable. Otherwise, conventional

green onions are fine. Trim away the roots

and any wilted leaves, and use both the

green and white parts.

Pork Loin

Pork is the traditional meat of choice

for gyoza. You’ll be amazed at the

difference in flavor and texture when

you mince it yourself instead of buy-

ing ground meat. Boneless pork loin is

easiest to manage, and its leanness is

balanced out with an equal quantity of

chopped pork belly.

Shiitake Mushrooms

Fresh shiitakes are becoming more widely available.

You can find them in well-stocked produce sections,

as well as at some farmers’ markets. Dried shiitakes,

which are also easy to obtain, have a richer flavor

than fresh. To reconstitute dried mushrooms, place

in a bowl of filtered water, weight with a small plate,

and let stand in a cool place or the refrigerator for 8

hours or overnight. Drain and reserve the soaking

water for another purpose, like soup stock. If you’re

in a hurry, you can reconstitute them in 30 minutes

with boiling water, but the flavor and texture are

better with a slow soak.

Shaoxing Rice Wine

This rice wine, from a specific

region of China, is aged to take on

the characteristics of dry sherry.

It is widely available in Asian

markets. Dry sherry or sake may

be substituted if you can’t find

Shaoxing wine.

Gyoza Wrappers

Egg roll wrappers, wonton wrappers, dumpling skins … these thin

sheets of wheat-flour dough go by many names. They are available in

a range of shapes, sizes, and quantities at both conventional and Asian

markets. For the recipes in this book, look for gyoza wrappers, which

are about 3½ inches (9 cm) in diameter and come in packages

of about fifty. You may be able to find larger wrappers,

about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter; these are

preferable for certain recipes. If you can only

find square-shaped wrappers, worry not! You

can use a pastry cutter or other appropri-

ately sized round object (tin can, drinking

glass, etc.) to cut them into circles.