Gyōza (餃子) is the Japanese dumpling. Many recipe variations exist, the most common one found in Japan is a mixtures of minced pork, cabbage, and nira, seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, wrapped into thinly rolled piece of dough.
Gyoza originated in China and called Jiaozi (饺子) there. Jiaozi means boiled one by default while Gyoza refers to a dumpling. The Japanese name was derived from Jiaozi in the Shandong dialect or in the Manchu language.
Gyoza shops can be found throughout Japan, but more commonly they are sold as a side dish in ramen restaurants. The most popular preparation method is called yaki-gyōza (焼き餃子) where the dumpling is first fried on the backside, later water is added. Sealed with a lid the upper part of the gyoza is steamed until the water has evaporated. Other popular methods include boiling (水餃子; Sui-gyōza) and deep frying (揚げ餃子; Age-gyōza). Dipped into a sauce of rice vinegar, soy sauce and/or spiced oil, they are best enjoyed while still steaming hot.