Steamed dumpling is a dish that carries varied narratives in different cultures. This small portion of food can bridge the boundaries between individuals and community. It can record individuals’ imprints and personalities, but also demonstrate shared memories and collective experiences.  

Rolling, Filling, Steaming is named based on the main actions of making steamed dumplings. With only water and heat, the hands-on cooking method of steaming brings a family together around the dinner table. People are able to engage directly with the ingredients, kneading, rolling and filling the dough with simple tools.

By creating a set of simple tools for making and steaming dumplings, Rolling, Filling, Steaming aims to bring a multi-generational family together – regardless of gender and age – to create a sustainable and emotionally shared cooking experience.

Surrounded by the speed and automation that characterizes our modern ways of living, this age-old experience reveals how we used to be, when cooking was more commonly communal, sustainable and enjoyable. Rolling, Filling, Steaming provides an ergonomically friendly experience for all, and includes tasks for each member, encouraging all the generations and genders within a family to get involved. 

All of the materials involved in this project are organic and natural, not only eco-friendly but also biodegradable. The material for the dough cutter, filling scoops, and steamer lid are local beech wood. The rolling tool is made of local recycled steamed ash from a previous project, giving the material a second life. The steam screen is bamboo, which while not locally grown is very sustainable. The steam pot itself is made from clay. These materials together make a sustainable object, but they are also clearly natural looking, encouraging an ethic of sustainability in viewers.