Currently I am busy developing logo and GIF animation designs for Neon Dumpling. In modeling an appropriate logo, I intend to depict a type of dumpling that is familiar to my Hong Kong heritage. However, as I began sketching out and referencing images of dumplings, I realized that there are innumerable variations of these versatile little delights from all over the world.
In a September 30, 2016 Saveur newsletter, I saw an image of what appeared to be ha gao dim sum. Yet when I read the caption under the picture, it said “Drizzle Ukrainian Pork Dumplings in Browned Butter.” Following the link led to an article titled Around the World in Over Dumplings which features an amazing array of dumplings from Italy to India, Siberia to Slovenia, from kreplach to khinkali qvelit, gnocchi to strezzapreti.
More recently, I came across an article by Molly Yeh in Organic Life entitled “Ever been to a dumplings of the world party?” Her Chinese/Eastern-European background helps present a wide-ranging array of doughy goodness.
Speaking of ha gao and my logo, I drew several versions of one, which happens to be one of my favorite dim sum dishes. The line drawings, however, strongly resembled the pierogis featured in a Lucky Peach recipe article titled “Three Satisfying Peirogis to Warm You Up.” They also looked very similar to empanadas. And, perhaps an indication of my sketching skills, several of the ha gao drawings bore a strong similarity to giant clams!
~ Alfred, Dumpling Director
Image credit: Har Gao (shrimp dumpling) image Todd Coleman in Saveur “Around the World in Over 40 Dumplings”