Cultural Experience of Chinese Learners in Ventspils University-making dumplings

当地时间10月11-12号，在文茨皮尔斯大学的汉语课程开课一个月之际，两个班的汉语学习者在老师的带领下一起初步学习了中国传统饮食文化，并且亲自动手学习包饺子——这个对中国人来说意义非凡的传统食物。

课前，老师提前制作了面团和馅料，所以包饺子的活动就简单地分为四部：切剂子、擀面皮，包馅料，煮饺子。其中对于学生来说，最难的就是擀面皮和包馅料。老师示范过后，学生们都兴冲冲地拿起擀面杖开始试验了，一开始面皮总是擀不圆，但在老师逐个慢动作教学之后，他们莫名地有了手感，于是擀地越来越好。然后大家就开始用擀好的面皮包馅了，一开始也出现了馅料溢出、面皮合不上等状况，甚至包好的饺子是“躺着”的，但是在老师讲解了“三步走”的战略技巧后，大家包的饺子都饱满可人，英姿飒爽呢！随后，在大家期待的眼神下饺子下锅了，他们边煮老师边告诉他们煮饺子的窍门，最后，饺子一个都没有破，香喷喷的饺子终于出锅了，再配上酸酸的香醋，学生们满满的成就感，不停地称赞自己包的饺子好吃呢！

这堂文化课让学生们对中国饮食文化有了一个初步的体验，学生们不但学会了如何包饺子，还学会了酸甜苦辣这五味以及筷子勺子等餐具的中文表达，收获满满！

On October 11-12, local time, one month after the Chinese course at Ventspils University started, the Chinese learners took a preliminary study of the traditional Chinese food culture under the leadership of the Chinese teacher, and learned how to make dumplings – a traditional food that is of great significance to the Chinese.

Before the class, the teacher made the dough and stuffing in advance, so the activity of making dumplings was simply divided into four parts: cutting small pieces, kneading dough, stuffing, and cooking dumplings. Among them, the most difficult thing for students is to knead dough and stuffing. After the teacher demonstrated, the students started to experiment with the rolling pin. At the beginning, the dough was not round, but after the teacher taught each other in slow motion, they were getting better and better. Then everyone began stuffing. At the beginning, there was also a situation in which the stuffing overflowed and the dough was not fit. Even the wrapped dumplings were “lying”, but the teacher explained “three steps.” After the strategic skills, everyone’s dumplings are full and standing! Then, under everyone’s expectation, the dumplings were cooked. The teacher told them some cook skills when they cooked. Finally, the dumplings were not broken, and the delicious dumplings finally came out, then served with sour vinegar, all the students are full of sense of accomplishment and continue to praise their dumplings delicious!

This cultural class gave students a preliminary experience of Chinese food culture. The students not only learned how to make dumplings, but also learned the Chinese expression of the five flavors and some tableware names, and the harvest was full!