The Golden Dumpling returns! Check it out:

More than 13,000 dumplings are expected to fill happy stomachs on Sunday, August 9th, 2015, from 12pm – 4pm, as the Golden Dumpling Cook Off and Derby returns for a third consecutive year. Held at a brand new location, Red Truck Beer Company (295 East 1st Avenue), 17 of Vancouver’s top restaurants will thrown down to claim the Golden Dumpling trophy for the year. All Dumpling Passport proceeds benefit the Chinese Elders Community Kitchen.

By definition, a dumpling is simply something wrapped in something. Almost every culture has its own iteration of this delicious morsel and passport holders will have a chance to taste a variety of these international flavours, courtesy of the participating restaurants: Reigning champion Maenam, The Acorn, Annalena, Au Comptoir, Bestie, Chicha, Cibo, Cinara, Fable, Harvest, Gyoza Bar, La Mezcaleria, Pidgin, Sai Woo, Tableau, Wildebeest, and The Union.

“We started this event to raise money for the Chinese Elders Community Kitchen because we noticed that food security and social isolation were serious issues in the Chinatown community, explains Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie’s Tannis Ling who is co-founder of The Golden Dumpling Cook Off and Derby with Here There’s Ken Tsui. “This program is vital as it gives those in need access to resources to maintain their cultural diet and connect in a safe environment. We are pleased that the event has grown in popularity and by moving it to a new and larger space, it allows us to spread the word more extensively and to hopefully establish it as one of the city’s best outdoor food festivals.”

Also not to be missed, is the Dumpling Derby eating contest where contestants face off against each other in a battle of the biggest stomachs. During separate heats, eight men and eight women will consume as many dumplings as they can in two gripping minutes. The winner of each category is declared the Dumpling Eating Champion of 2015, receives full bragging rights, and is awarded a $100 gift card from Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie. Those with a wicked appetite and a fierce competitive streak can sign up through the website.

Dumpling Passports are $55 and grants travel to each of the 17 restaurant stations to receive a stamp for a fresh, hot dumpling as well as refreshments from Red Truck and Happy Planet. Passports are available June 26th, 2015 via Eventbrite.

“On behalf of all the Chinese elders, I want to thank Tannis, Ken, and all the restaurants and chefs for taking the time and energy to invest in helping the Chinese Elders Community Kitchen,” says Anita Lau, outreach worker for the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. “Because of their efforts, we’ve been able to increase our weekly budget from an average of $20 to $35 a week. We serve approximately 80 elders every month and this has made a significant impact. Every dollar counts.

For more information about The Chinese Elders Community Kitchen, please visit www.dewc.ca.

The Golden Dumpling Cook Off and Derby is proudly supported by Red Truck Beer Company, Trimpac, FreshPoint, Take Root, Hon’s Asian Foods, and Happy Planet. For more information, please visit www.goldendumpling.ca.

Follow on Twitter (@golden_dumpling) and Instagram (@golden_dumpling), and check out these photos we’ve taken from previous Golden Dumpling events…