Characteristics
What makes a good Gyoza?
Here's an enlarged photo to demonstrate.
Gyoza have to be greasy, yet still firm and not brittle. The first
bite should have a good amount of substance, as opposed to being
completley crispy. It gives it a rich substantial mouth feel.
They're seared on the griddle untill one side is browned. It's
firm, and slightly crispy. This offsets the smoothness of the rest
of the wrapper.
The sides are folded over, about seven times, more is okay. This
gives even more substance to the gyoza. It also balances the texture
of the skin with the filling and the broad sides.
The filling doesn't have to be elaborate, but
simply to contrast the outer shell. The quantitiy should match
the skin. Too much and it's hard to fold, and the sides do not
obtain the folds. Too little and it's just gyoza skin.
As a whole the package is visually appealing.
They are best served in odd numbers, Five, seven, nine are good.
In larger quantities
(such as 25) arrangement on the plate matters.
Bad gyoza, are deep fried, as opposed to fried on the griddle.
They tend to be rather crunchy rather than chewy. The elegant folds
on the side may be missing, The sign of a bad gyoza is if the filling
inside is dry.
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