For prepared, frozen muscle foods, the most important quality attributes to the consumer are flavor and texture. This also applies to dumplings (“Jiaozi” in Chinese phonics) — a traditional Chinese delicacy consisting of a wheat-flour dough wrapper and a meat-based filler. Dumplings are widely popular in Asian countries and are served in Asian cuisines worldwide. Pan-fried dumplings in the U.S. are often called potstickers.
Today, supermarkets in the U.S. sell Chinese dumplings in the frozen-food section. Commercial dumplings are usually frozen to aid in distribution and quality preservation. However, gradual losses in quality occur during frozen storage, especially when the freezing temperature fluctuates. Depending on the specific package and storage condition, deteriorations in the filler’s flavor and texture (rancidity, hardness and dryness) can be a significant problem, resulting from lipid and protein oxidation and ice crystal-induced physical damage to proteins.