🍡 Miso Dare Gyoza/ Miso Dumplings

In Kobe, it is common to eat "miso-dare gyoza," which are pan-fried dumplings served with a miso-based sauce consisting of vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil. Before World War II, among Japanese residents who lived in Manchuria, pan-fried gyoza was preferred over boiled ones which are similar to Chinese water dumplings. Many families in Kobe used to eat pan-fried gyoza with miso sauce due to nostalgia for their hometown. After the war, a man who had returned from Manchuria opened a restaurant in Shin-Kaihoku, Kobe, serving pan-fried gyoza with miso sauce. This became popular among returnees, spreading to other eateries. The original gyoza at the restaurant called "Gyoza En," considered the origin of miso-dare gyoza, uses a filling made from Kobe pork with a hint of Kobe beef. It is served with the restaurant's original miso sauce. In 2014, it was selected as a "Five-Star Hyogo" product, recognized by the prefecture for embodying both the regional characteristics and innovation of the Hyogo Five Countries.