Tsu Gyoza (津ぎょうざ)

Tsu Gyoza (津ぎょうざ) is a giant deep-fried dumpling from Tsu City, the capital of Mie Prefecture. Each one uses a custom wrapper 15 centimeters across, so a single piece replaces about three ordinary gyoza. It began in school lunches rather than restaurants, which is unusual for a Japanese regional specialty. Most gyoza in Japan arrive small, pan-fried, and lined up in neat rows. Tsu Gyoza breaks all three habits at once. It lands on the plate looking more like a golden pastry, and I laughed the first time one turned up in front of me. TOCWhat Is Tsu Gyoza? Tsu Gyoza is a local specialty rather than one fixed recipe. Cooks fill a large, thin wrapper with pork and vegetables, then fry the whole thing in oil until it crisps. Because the filling follows no rules, every shop in town tastes a little different. A 15-Centimeter Dumpling from Tsu City Tsu sits in central Mie, facing Ise Bay, south of Nagoya. Japanese people also know the city for having the shortest name in the country, since it is written with the single character 津. The wrapper measures 15 cm across, roughly the width of an adult hand. So one piece delivers about the same volume as three standard gyoza. The Two Rules That D...