Jiaozi are northern Chinese dumplings traditionally eaten at midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve.
These crescent-shaped dumplings are made by wrapping fillings—often pork, vegetables, seafood, or a combination—in thin dough. In northern China, families commonly prepare them together before the New Year, then boil or steam them for the reunion meal. Eating them at midnight links the old year with the new one.
Their symbolism is especially important. Jiaozi resemble yuanbao, boat-shaped silver or gold ingots used as currency in imperial China, so serving them expresses hopes for wealth and prosperity. Some families place a clean coin inside one dumpling; finding it is considered lucky, though the coin must be handled safely.
A traditional story credits physician Zhang Zhongjing, who is said to have made early dumplings during the Eastern Han period, around AD 25–220, to help people suffering frostbitten ears. That tale explains the older “tender ears” association, but modern jiaozi are everyday food as well as a festival dish. They should not be confused with baozi, which are usually leavened and bun-like.