This anthology of personal stories about dumplings investigates many topics of substance: culture, history, family, sustenance. These fundamental themes are explored through a specific food, the dumpling, though the desire to define this item proves contentious. In What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings (Coach House) edited by John Lorinc, more than two dozen authors provide their take on culinary treats from wontons to samosas, matzo ball soup to gnocchi, empanadas to Jamaican patties. Dough pockets stuffed with filling, or unfilled bread dumplings, are prepared and consumed over much of the globe. This anthology uses the dumpling as an anchor for stories about geopolitical rootedness and mobility. Many of the authors reflect on their childhoods, where this specific comfort food often lies at the centre of a sense of identity. Most of the stories are personal in nature, often recalling how a cherished parent or grandparent passed on secret knowledge or the disruption of immigration was tempered by the continuity of dumplings. Some are scholarly, others literary, and many are instructional. In “Siopao Is Not Just for Kids” Christina Gonzales suggest that the evolution of siopao (a Filipino steamed dumpling) tells the history of colonization through its elements, which are a combination of Chinese, Spanish and American. The most thought-provoking is Navneet Alang’s “The One True Dumpling,” which considers cultural appropriation, authenticity, and whether fusion cuisine is cultural evolution or soulless market capitalism. Whether they believe calzone, pierogi, or even Scotch eggs count as dumplings, all of the authors share a sense of joy and community when it comes to these flavourful, starchy delights.

—Kris Rothstein