There's something extraordinarily satisfying about biting into a perfect dumpling—the tugof dough, the burst of steam, that first hit of flavorful filling. And the history of the dumpling is a noble one, a tale of transforming meager ingredients, typically expensive animal proteins, into hearty, substantial meals with the help of a little flour and water.

　　咬一口美味的饺子就会有一种无比享受的满足感：劲道的面皮、蒸汽的孕育、味蕾与美味馅料的触碰。饺子的历史是非常神圣和崇高的，它是个将少数几种材料(通常是昂贵的动物蛋白、面粉和水)转变为美味佳肴的故事。

　　But in a galaxy of won tons and potstickers, knishes and kreplach, empanadas and ravioli, knowing where a dumpling begins and ends can get a little complicated. Like the chicken and the egg, the true nature of the dumpling remains shrouded in mystery...or at least a healthy amount of debate.

　　但是饺子种类繁多，包括混沌、锅贴、犹太馅饼、三角混沌、肉馅卷饼和意大利饺子，要知道饺子的始末有些困难。就像鸡和蛋的故事一样，饺子的来源也依然是未解之谜……或者至少是一场有意义的争论。

　　So when we set out to chart some of the world's greatest dumplings, we found ourselves faced with a single all-consuming question. What is dumpling?

　　所以，当我们打算聊一聊世界上最伟大的饺子时，我发现我们面临一些很耗费精力的问题。饺子是什么?

　　Ultimately, while the word "dumpling" may have many different meanings—and in China, the dumpling capital of the world, no meaning at all—we've been forced to make some difficult decisions. As we embark on the epic project of classifying our planet's vast array of dumplings, we've opted to count only those foods made by wrapping dough around a filling. And, to simplify matters further, we're including only those foods intended to be consumed in three bites or fewer. Quibble if you must, but items like gnocchi and matzo balls won't appear here. Likewise, with an upcoming guide to Italian pastas in the works, your tortellini, agnolotti, and ravioli haven't been included in this particular list.

　　尽管单词"dumpling"可能有很多不同的意思，尤其是在中国，世界饺子之都，根本没有什么意义，最终我们不得不做出一些困难的决定。当我们着手将世界上的所有的饺子归类这一伟大的壮举时，我们已经选择只把那些带馅的面食计算在内。而且我们只讨论那些能在三口之内吃完的带馅面食。如果非要狡辩的话，面粉或马铃薯做的团子也不会出现在这里。同样地，以后会介绍的意大利面食、意式饺子、肉饺和混沌并不包括在这个苛刻的清单中。

　　Join us on a journey from China to India, Nepal, Russia, and beyond, as we explore the great wide world of dumplings. (Coming soon!)

　　加入我们的饺子之旅吧!从中国到印度、尼泊尔、俄罗斯和其它地方，探寻来自世界各地的饺子。(即将登场，敬请期待!)

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（责任编辑：何莹莹）