Posted by This June, I had the honor of leading a dumpling-making workshop as part of the Emory APIDA 2nd Annual Buford Highway Eats: Dumpling Edition – and it was such a blast!
Hosted by Emory University’s APIDA Alumni Network, the event brought together over 70 guests to celebrate Asian food, culture, and community along Atlanta’s iconic Buford Highway. I led a hands-on dumpling session where everyone got to wrap (and eat!) vegetarian dumplings made with napa cabbage and tofu – a recipe that’s both flavorful and beginner-friendly.
A Hands-On Food + Culture Experience
We kicked things off with a quick intro about the cultural significance of dumplings – how they show up at Chinese New Year, family gatherings, and special occasions. Then I demonstrated how to wrap them (half moon and pleated!), and everyone got to try making their own. And they got to take it home and cook it later!
Some folks had never wrapped dumplings before, and there were a few that were total naturals! We prepped about 170 dumplings for tasting and demo purposes. That’s a lot of dumplings!
Why Events Like This Matter
I love events like this because they highlight how food can bring people together. Whether you grew up eating dumplings or were trying them for the first time, the experience of making something by hand and sharing it with others is always powerful.
Buford Highway is such an important part of Atlanta’s multicultural food scene, and it was amazing to see so many people come out to celebrate that together.
Dumplings We Made
For this workshop, we made my Napa Cabbage & Tofu Dumplings from my recipe on Oh Snap! Let’s Eat!. These dumplings are:
🥬 Vegetarian – but packed with umami flavor
🥟 Easy to cook – pan-fry, boil, or steam
❄️ Freezer-friendly – perfect for batch cooking or parties
Everyone wrapped at least two dumplings, and a bunch of attendees said they were inspired to try making them at home. (If that was you – let me know how it went!)
A Celebration of Dumplings in All Forms
The event wasn’t just about one kind of dumpling… it was a full-on dumpling tasting tour across cultures, with amazing bites from local Asian restaurants and pop-ups, each bringing their own twist:
- 🥟 @gus.dumplings – juicy chicken dumplings
- 🥟 @mamakvegan – pan-fried vegan dumplings
- 🥟 @kamayan_atl – veggie & shrimp lumpia (Filipino-style spring rolls)
- 🥟 @bismillah_cafe – veggie & chicken samosas (South Asian stuffed pastries)
- 🥟 @cantonhouserestaurant – chicken shu mai
- 🥟 @foodterminalofficial – steamed pork wontons
- ☕️ @mintcoffeehousega – refreshing chai & watermelon mint lemonade
Together, they showed just how many delicious ways dumplings show up across Asian cuisines!
Thank You to Emory APIDA, We Love BuHi, and Our Community Leaders
Huge thanks to the Emory APIDA Alumni Network for organizing this event and to We Love Buford Highway for continuing to uplift the history, culture, and businesses that make Buford Highway so special.
Special shoutout to the City of Chamblee for letting us use Chamblee City Hall again this year, and to everyone who came out to celebrate and eat!
We were also honored to have inspiring speakers join us, including Munir Meghjani, President of the Emory Atlanta APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, & Desi Alumni) Network, and Jimmy Furst, At-Large Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Chamblee. Jimmy spoke about the importance of cultural events like this in fostering community connections, and it was wonderful to hear from both of them. We Love Buford Highway also shared a few words about the organization’s mission and their ongoing work in the community.
Want to Make Dumplings at Home?
You can find the exact dumpling recipe we used here:
👉 Napa Cabbage & Tofu Dumplings (Vegetarian)
Or browse more at Oh Snap! Let’s Eat! for stir-fries, soups, noodles, and dumplings of all kinds.
And don’t forget to check out my cooking eBooks if you’re ready to level up your homemade Asian meals!