The Chinese dumpling traditionally shaped like a crescent and filled with pork and cabbage is jiaozi.
Jiaozi are made by wrapping seasoned meat and vegetables in a thin wheat-flour wrapper, then boiling, steaming, or pan-frying them. Pork paired with napa cabbage is one of the most familiar fillings, although shrimp, beef, chicken, chives, mushrooms, and other vegetables are also common.
The crescent shape is among the most recognizable jiaozi forms. Historical writing from the Northern Qi dynasty, between AD 550 and 577, already described dumplings shaped like a crescent moon. Jiaozi later became especially associated with Lunar New Year celebrations, when families often prepare them together.
A common mix-up is pot sticker. Pot stickers are pan-fried jiaozi, known in Chinese as guotie, rather than a separate dumpling family. Wontons are different: they usually have thinner wrappers and are commonly served in soup, while jiaozi have thicker skins and are often served with dipping sauce.