Hello all!

2023 Chinese New Year is coming up! So the Crystal Dumpling Workshop is back. This time we are hosting the gathering with Slow Food D.C., a non-profit orgnization dedicate to good, clean and fair food for all. Come to us, if you've missed it last time.

We will create the classic Lunar New Year green and white dough (翡翠白菜) filled with shrimp or vegetables. The shrimp ones also known as Har Gow. Har Gow is one of the “Big Four” in the Cantonese Dim Sum world – which includes crystal shrimp dumplings, dry steamed shumai, cha siu buns, and egg tarts. Crystal shrimp dumplings derive their name from the translucent appearance they take after being cooked. This significant facet of Han Chinese food culture originated in the Guangdong province, and we at Chinese Street Market are proud to bring it to our community here in the DMV.

Unlike the Northern region’s wheat flour dumplings, this dumpling is ideal for our gluten-free patrons. While creating rice flour dumplings is more complicated than flour, your instructor, Susan Qin of Chinese Street Market DC, will share tips to simplify the process. In this class, we will create both shrimp dumplings and vegetarian dumplings. If you have an allergen or food restriction, please inform us before the class so then we can accommodate you! In this class, we will be providing a curated meal alongside a classic Lunar New Year dessert Tangyuan, please choose from the following:

Meal option 1 :

- Biang Biang Hand-pulled Noodle with House Minced Beef Topping ( Xi'an Street Food )

- Wolf teeth Potato Fries ( Sichuan Street Food ) (V)

- Tangyuan ( sticky rice ball dessert ) in Housemade Asian Red Bean Punch ( Classic Lunar New Year Dessert )（V,GF)

Meal option 2 :

- Biang Biang Hand-pulled Noodle with House Minced Mushroom Topping ( Xi'an Street Food )

- Wolf teeth Potato Fries ( Sichuan Street Food ) (V)

- Tangyuan ( sticky rice ball dessert ) in Housemade Asian Red Bean Punch (Classic Lunar New Year Dessert)（V,GF)

*Donation to DC Slow Food is recommended*

About the Instructor:

Susan Qin is the founder and cultural curator of Chinese Street Market DC, a collaborative platform that showcases Chinese culture through traditional, regional Chinese food recipes, and works to build a community of local Asian talent and creators.

Susan was born and raised in Chengdu, Sichuan. Her family belongs to the Buoyi minority group in China. While receiving her education at a foreign-language boarding school, she also developed a passion for Ancient Chinese Literature at a young age. The ancient Chinese culture and philosophy so elegantly expressed in her books were a formative inspiration. Eventually, Susan moved to the U.S. as a teenager and has spent her adult life in New York City and Washington, D.C., earning a degree in Economics and building a professional career in the financial services industry.

Susan’s unique experiences growing up with both Eastern and Western cultural experiences expanded her worldview, and she often found herself acting as a cultural ambassador, de-mystifying aspects of Chinese culture for friends and acquaintances. This led Susan to build a community for people to share their Chinese culture with anyone who has a passion for learning more, with food as a lens for connection. Today, the Chinese Street Market DC can be found at Farmer’s Markets throughout the DC area and hosting educational cultural events. The food she serves often incorporates produce from her fellow farmer's market vendors, which allows CSMDC to root diasporic food stories in freshness, sustainability, and the Mid-Atlantic food system. She is known at the local farmer's markets as the Senior Dumpling Consultant.

About Chinese Street Market:

The Chinese Street Market DC community is a place to share your nostalgic food memories or pursue your cultural passion. We strive to serve as trustworthy connectors for food and culture, removing language barriers for better cultural understanding.

The DC area is rich with a multi-generational East Asian diaspora, and starting with Chinese sub-cultures, we work to introduce all East Asian food makers to a larger audience. Our goal is to help tell their stories within the context of their traditions and traditional multi-generational recipes. We do this by showcasing their stories on our online platform and offline through food popups and events.

The inaugural street market, held in September 2019, was a special event that drew over 3,000 visitors to Downtown DC in just one afternoon. In 2021, Chinese Street Market DC was voted by Washington City Paper's Best of DC poll as the runner-up for Best-At-Home-Meals, coming in just after a Michelin-rated restaurant. Today, you can enjoy this unique cultural experience by joining our online community or through our in-person popups at local farmer's markets and special events. Join us in learning, connecting, sharing, and preserving this cultural experience and community.

COVID-19 Policy:

Guests to this event are encouraged to be vaccinated. Unvaccinated guests must bring a COVID-19 rapid test and test on-site prior to entering the farm OR bring a negative PCR test from the last 24 hours when test was taken. Vaccinated guests may show their vaccine card, a photo, or their online registry. We reserve the right to make changes to this policy based on the changing situation with COVID-19.