Dumplings are a traditional Chinese food. Eating dumplings is a folklore tradition unique to the Chinese people at the time of the Chinese New Year. This is why they are so popular.

During the Chinese New Year, dumplings are an essential delicacy. People from far away travel back to their hometowns to eat dumplings with their families for the festive season, signifying a successful homecoming.

The Chinese dumpling is one of the dozens of dumplings around the world. Dumpling comes from Lowland German and originally meant "to pile up" or "dough into the water".

Let's meet the dumplings of other countries.

Empanada is Spanish for "dough wrapped in a filling". It is a fried dumpling from Argentina. Bite into the crunchy shell and you'll find a delicious filling filled with meat, eggs, olives, onions, peppers, cumin, and other ingredients.

Traditionally called pierogis, Polish dumplings are an essential part of a hearty Polish dinner. The dumplings can be filled with mashed potatoes, various kinds of cheese, sauteed onions, mushrooms, meat, sauerkraut, or spinach.

The samosa is an Indian-style dumpling. The crispy skin is covered with spicy potatoes, peas, lentils, stringy meat, and onions.

Apple pie is an American dessert staple. These apple dumplings are made from peeled and sliced apples, baked with cinnamon and sweet dough. The classic way to eat it is topped with some vanilla ice cream.

The banh bot loc is a chewy dumpling made from cassava flour from Vietnam, usually filled with meat and shrimp.

Manti is small Turkish-style dumplings filled with meat and served with yogurt sauce, oil and paprika.

These four countries have special dumplings.

Georgian dumplings —Khinkali

Khinkali is a traditional Georgian dumpling-like food. It is filled with meat marinated in various spices and served with black pepper. The crust is wrapped around a mixture of meat, cooked in water, and the juices spill out when you bite into it.

Italian Dumplings—Ravioli

Ravioli are dumplings, but they are also classified as a type of pasta, although they tend to be dumplings in style and shape. They are usually served in soup or a thin sauce.

Traditionally, ravioli is a family dish that is made in every household and the filling varies according to the region. In Rome and Latium, it is customary to fill it with cheese, and spinach and season it with black pepper and cardamom.

In Sardinia, it is more often stuffed with cheese and a hint of lemon zest.

German Swabian national dumpling—Mautasche

It is also much larger than the familiar dumpling and is filled with a rich variety of fillings, fresh minced meat, spinach, onions, and breadcrumbs, with some spices mixed into the filling.

It is unusual in that it is usually rectangular or square in shape. In 2009 the European Union recognized it as a "Baden-Württemberg" cultural heritage.

Nepalese steamed dumplings —Yomari

In Nepal, there is a steamed dumpling known as "Yomari". It is, however, sweet. Inside, it is covered with a filling called chaku, which consists of cane sugar and nuts. As well as being eaten on a regular basis, Yomari is used on important local festivals or to celebrate the harvest.