4 Levels of Dumplings: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious

We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur John, home cook Charlene, and professional chef King Phojanakong from the Institute of Culinary Education - to make a batch of dumplings. Once each chef had presented their creations, we asked food scientist Rose to explain their choices. Which one of these piquant potstickers are you sticking your fork in first?


Rose can be found on Instagram at @rosemarytrout_foodscience
Follow Chef King at @kumainn_uminom
Want to see more of Charlene's cooking? @thebaodega
John is on social at @johndlopresto

Follow the Institute of Culinary Education here! @iceculinary


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4 Levels of Dumplings: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious

[coasterlamby]

Level 0 chef: so here we have our pack of frozen dumplings

[NA-jxbf]

I like Charlene. She's a nice change of pace. Please bring her back.

[tomf]

Level 1: Gyoza
Level 2: dumpling
Level 3: Xiaolongbao.

[ollytown]

I love the fact that the level 1 guy is so happy and confident about what he's doing, even if he knows he's not a professional by any means

[___l.]

Level 1: I love dumplings and I wanted to make them myself.
Level 2: I am basically the younger version of a grandma
Level 3: I taught my grandma this dumping

[catboyryaem]

first time seeing charlene. hope they bring her back, i like her.

[kevinw]

Charlene easily a level 2.5 dumpling chef, bordering on 3, for bringing out her own chili oil and the way she rolls out the dough, and fills and folds her dumplings. Her way of cooking and making her dumplings speaks to me on so many levels.

She should return for the other 4 Levels series when it comes to Chinese dishes, *_if_* she feels comfortable making them

[cryptolio]

Spoiler: Everyone's dumplings were amazing and they all tasted good and everyone had an emotional experience from them. Lesson learned: all dumplings are good dumplings

[joeyzze]

Charlene is a level 3 masquerading as a level 2. She has the best knife skills of any level 2

[banananiel]

Only reason shes level 2 is that she’s not a “professional”. But her skills are definitely up there. She sounds like she knows her culture, so authentic

[hughtran]

Charlene is actually a level 3 when it comes to dumplings because you can tell she grew up making them. Not only can she make dumplings based off of pure experience, her technique is a traditional Chinese technique used by many people. You can see that her dumpling wrappers are much rounder and consistent the the actual level 3 chef

[Spoofehness]

I feel like this episode more than any other; Level 2 and pro chef are actually on the same level but in different contexts. Until Chef King got to the soup (the pigs feet had a delightful street food vibe) I felt like Charlene was giving the authentically best recipe. Though she's young she has probably made dumplings specifically as many times as Chef King has, since she would have spent a number of years making these as a toddler with a parent or grandparent, and very little else until older; compared to King with his (presumably) later start and MUCH broader skill study. I felt like I could have been hearing Charlene from my 90yo Japanese friend when she describes and self-narrates as she makes Gyoza. It felt like a closer experience than Chef King.

[zeldamaster]

Charlene; an overnight hit in the epicurious community.

[CalvinMousse]

Level 1: Fried Gyoza with little filling
Level 2: Traditional Chinese Dumpling
Level 3: Chinese Steamed Bun, Xiaolongbao

[Petrico]

I like how it cuts between different methods
"Because we're using home made dough we don't need water to help the dumpling stick"
Back to the lvl1 "I'm going to moisten the edges of our store bought wrappers with some water..."

[hatdog]

Everyone simpin' on chef level 2😂

[milfcommander]

If Lorenzo Was Here He'd Be Putting Bacon In The Dumplings

[ShroomFairy]

Bring Charlene back, she is the epitome of home cooking. Don't tell Lorenzo that, he might throw bacon at ya.

[MintyMacha]

Here, after hearing the sad new. Chef King will be missed but never forgotten for his contribution to so many videos.

[SB_whatevers]

Charlene is amazing. Does she have her own channel? Ps. The way she mixed the meat is important. A vigorous hand mix of the filling works up and distributes the collagen in the meat and helps the filling stick together.