The Dumpling Profiles: Kimchi Beef

Posted on February 23, 2010. Filed under: The Dumpling Profiles |

Throughout the course of Dumpling Station’s many travels, we have not only searched the world far and wide in search of the best ingredients for our dumplings, we have also come away with some fond memories along the way. None may be as vivid as our journey into the land of Kimchiania, where the heat from the scorched earth and scarlet emblazoned sky provided the backdrop for the spiciest cuisine known to man. It is here where we encountered the kimchi beef dumpling, where we were warned by the locals that eating it would be akin to entering Dante’s Inferno with nothing more than a pair of shorts and an empty bottle of sunblock. Undaunted, we set forth to tackle this beast and determine if it was worthy for our menu.

Eight of these dumplings were laid in front of us. A red tint had seeped through the dumpling wrapper, serving both as a warning and a dare to anyone bold enough to dance with this devil of a dumpling. We decided to jump right in, and the first bite was everything the locals made it out to be. Chili dressed cabbage cut through our taste buds like a samurai warrior and sent them into another dimension. We could not get over how spicy but irresistible they were. We finished all eight in record time and the stood as heroes amongst the people of Kimchiania. As a gift, they rewarded us with the recipe, which unfortunately for us was not suitable for the public given its litigious nature and the thought of lawsuits stemming from unleashing this kind of heat on them. So Helen worked tirelessly to tame its fiery personality but to maintain its spirit-and after years of garlic therapy and glass noodle counseling, we can share its glory with the rest of the world. The kimchi beef dumpling is reborn.