***Sacred Word from Masaaki-samaAs usual, I brought it to my mouth. But when I took a bite, what seemed like—meat juice??—filled my mouth and I almost spit it out. “Wh-what’s in this?” I immediately asked Mami, and she said it was only Japanese leeks plus some seasoning. When I found out, I just continued chewing, my eyes wide open in amazement, juices overflowing from the leeks. The aroma of garlic and the seasonings joined together in perfect harmony, the depth and boldness of the miso holding it all together. The dumpling wrappers are completely opposite to the fashionable thin wrappers these days—rather, they have thrown down a challenge to us modern day humans whose teeth and jaws have grown utterly weak (dare I say it). An incredibly chewy, mochi-like texture. Those without resolve will simply be defeated here and now. Meishu-sama’s Sacred Word deeply reverberates through my brain: “Grains are the staple of meals.” That’s right! To live! I must live! With these thoughts in my heart, I took a bite. And then another. And yet another bite. And from the firm, chewy texture of the medium-strength flour that Japanese people have eaten since ancient times arises this sweetness! Ah, the sweetness of grains that I continue to seek day after day! This sweetness and the punchy seasoning of the filling begin to blend together in my mouth—oh, the bliss of this cannot be put into words. I close my eyes, concentrate all my attention and senses toward my tongue, and chew, chew, chew. This truly, is the state of bliss. Then, bam! the intense desire to devour rice pierces my brain, waking me up from my blissful dream. That’s right! Rice! This goes with rice! I shovel rice into my mouth—and then the miraculous collaboration with the pot sticker buns. A union. A marriage of carbohydrates: something made with medium-strength flour paired with 30% polished rice cooked in an earthenware pot. No, rather, doesn’t this pairing bring about a sense of guilt? If someone had told me when I was younger that this was the secret pleasure of Japanese vegan food, I would have completely ignored it. But now, I get it! I understand! After this emotional rollercoaster of a journey, I realized that all I had left in my mouth was excess saliva. Left in my brain was a sense of happiness. On the road of vegan cuisine, these vegan pot sticker buns are a quintessential dish. Don’t be fooled by Mami’s appearance—this is no delicate dish. Everyone, I guarantee you will be able to receive overflowing power from the core of your body.*** Precise yet cool, traditional yet modern, with unparalleled vividness in flavor description and subtle humor shining through. An exquisite dish that Masaaki-sama could not help but write about at such length. Mami-okusama has once again shared a precious recipe with us. The freshly picked Japanese leeks used were from the ones that Masaaki-sama’s family planted in the spring, which finally were ready for harvest in December, and were picked by a smiling Mikoto-sama (Masaaki-sama and Mami-okusama’s first son), like we posted in a recent video. Those leeks were transformed into sublime vegan pot sticker buns through Mami-okusama’s extraordinary magic.According to Mami-okusama, eldest daughter Mei-sama, second daughter Miyu-sama, and Mikoto-sama all gave rave reviews, and she said that they’re delicious even without any dipping sauce, and the sweetness of the ingredients overflows with each bite. Let us all make this dish that Masaaki-sama has given his seal of approval, saying you will “receive overflowing power from the core of your body”! ✨ [Ingredients] 🥟 (Makes 20, if making wrappers from scratch)WrappersMedium-strength flour ... 200gSalt ... a pinchWater ... about 110mlFillingJapanese leeks (white part) ... about 150gGarlic (minced) ... 1/2 to 2/3 cloveGinger (minced) ... 1/3 teaspoonMiso ... 2 teaspoonsSoy sauce ... 2/3 to 1 teaspoonSesame oil ... a generous 2 teaspoonsSalt ... to taste [How to Make the Wrappers] 🥣Mix flour and salt.Add water little by little and bring together.When the surface becomes smooth and comes together, knead for about 10 minutes.Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.Shape the dough into a log and divide into 20 equal pieces.Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten into a circle with a diameter of 8–9cm. [How to Make the Filling] 🔥Use the white part of the Japanese leeks. Make 4 shallow vertical cuts, then chop horizontally into 5–7mm widths. Mince the garlic and ginger.Heat a frying pan (preferably cast iron), then cool it slightly. Add sesame oil and set to low heat. Add garlic, ginger, and a little salt, lightly sauté without browning to release the aroma.Add the chopped leeks and sauté slowly over low heat. When a sweet aroma rises, add soy sauce, lightly sauté, then turn off the heat.Add miso, and finally add a pinch of salt and mix everything together.Let cool slightly before using. [How to Wrap] 🥟Be careful not to overfill. Wrap like pot stickers. Shape as you prefer. [How to Cook] 🔥 ※If cooking in 2 batchesHeat an iron frying pan, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, arrange the pot sticker buns, and brown over medium heat.Add a small amount of water, cover, and steam-cook.When the water has evaporated, drizzle a small amount of sesame oil as a finishing touch.Cook the second batch the same way. With each bite, overflowing power to live!Likes, saves and shares are most welcome! ✨