International Dumpling Day is on 26 September and this year, we're celebrating for a whole week!

From 22 - 28 September, we are running a Design-a-Dumpling competition, asking restaurants across Aotearoa to create and serve their own special dumpling throughout the week.

What is a Dumpling?

Dumplings from all cusines are welcome to join the Design-a-Dumpling competition!

There are heaps of different dumplings variartions worldwide, coming in all shapes and sizes.

Dumplings can generally be defined in two main ways:

A small mass of dough cooked by boiling or steaming, like chicken soup with dumplings.
A casing of dough enclosing a typically savory filling (such as meat or seafood), and usually cooked by boiling, steaming, or pan-frying. (Definitions from Merriam Webster)

Ravioli? It's a dumpling. Empanada? Pasty? Yep, they're dumplings too. Calzone? It's sort of a big ol' dumpling.

If you think it fits the 'dumpling' category, we'd love it to be part of our Design-a-Dumpling competition!

Design-a-Dumpling:
Competition for Restaurants

What is Dumpling Day?

International Dumpling Day, celebrated on September 26, honours the diverse tradition of dumplings worldwide. This day is dedicated to appreciating these delicious, dough-wrapped delights filled with various ingredients, ranging from meats and vegetables to sweets. Different cultures have unique versions, such as Chinese jiaozi, Russian pelmeni, Polish pierogis, Italian ravioli, and so much more! The celebration encourages people to explore, cook, and enjoy dumplings, fostering global unity through shared food experiences and cultural exchange. The day coincides with New Zealand Chinese Language Week (NZCLW), which encourages Kiwis to learn Chinese languages.

How Can Restaurants Take Part?

NZCLW is running a ‘Design-a-Dumpling’ competition for National Dumpling Day. Restaurants can participate for FREE by creating a special dumpling for NZ Chinese Language Week (22-28 Septemeber) and filling out the attached form. Get creative with your dumplings – any style is welcome!

NZCLW will provide participating restaurants with a customized poster for printing featuring the restaurant’s logo, a QR code for public voting, and a photo of the dumpling. Dumpling fans will visit these restaurants, vote for their favourite dumplings, and enter a draw to win prizes. The winning restaurant will also receive a prize and media opportunities.

Why Should My Restaurant Take Part?

Visibility: gain promotion on NZCLW social media, participate in a national campaign, and attract customers to ty your special dumplings. Food influencers will be out and visiting restaurants during the week!
Support: show support for NZ Chinese Language Week and the Chinese community.
Convenience: NZCLW will provide all promotional posters (including specific for your restaurant), allowing you to focus on creating great food.

How will the Competition Work?

August: Restaurants sign up as a “Dumpling Day Restaurant”.
August/September: NZCLW receives the branding, photo, and name of the dumpling from the restaurant and creates a customized promotional poster with a QR code for voting.
Pre-Event: NZCLW publishes the list of participating restaurants and builds hype for the competition.
Event Week (22 - 28 Sept): People visit participating restaurants, try the dumplings, and vote for their favourites.
Post-Event: Winners are announced, and public competition winners are revealed.

Restaurant Eligibility:

All restaurants, even those not specialising in Chinese cuisine, are encouraged to participate. We’d love it if participating restaurants could help support New Zealand Chinese Language Week and offer something special for Dumpling Day. We’re looking forward to seeing the range of creative offerings!

You are also welcome to enter a dumpling that is already on your restaurant's menu. We are happy to promote it on our website and social media, however it will not be eligible for the public vote.

For questions or more information, please feel free to reach out to nzclw@nzclw.com.