Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter

Miss Norma, the undisputed dumpling-making champion of Christiana, shows off one of her creations. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Break out the confetti, it's the first anniversary of the popular Roving with Lalah! October 27 will mark a year since the feature started appearing every Thursday in The Gleaner, and to celebrate, we are counting down five days of Roving with Lalah starting today. We are reprinting five most popular features based on reader feedback and Lalah and his team have revisited all five areas for updates. This is the fifth most popular!

I love me a good dumpling. It's true. To me, nothing beats a plump, well-designed, succulent fried dumpling, with just a smidgen of 'salting'. I can taste it now. From that first whiff you get when they are fresh off the fire, to that heavenly moment when your lips and tongue slowly caress the contours of the tantalizing treat. Yummy.

Now I'm sure you'll all agree that there's no dumpling like a homemade dumpling. There's just something about the way they're prepared. But I recently heard of an unassuming middle-aged woman who runs a shop in the heart of Christiana, who might just leave you thinking differently. She gives her name as simply 'Miss Norma', but the satisfied people of her hometown have crowned her the 'Dumpling Empress of Christiana'.

This sounded like my kind of woman. So last week, photographer and fellow dumpling connoisseur Norman Grindley and I, loaded up the van and sped off to meet this dumpling-making belle.

We got to Main Street, Christiana, just about midday and found the town alive and kicking. That normally cool Manchester atmosphere took on a particularly seasonal feel. The sun was out in full force and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

After driving in circles for a while, we found a parking space just in front of a bar, across from the taxi park. Gospel music was blaring from a small radio at the entrance to the park.

We got out of the van and looked up. A sign above an open doorway read 'Don Jones Bar'. This was the place. Time to meet the Dumpling Empress.

The setting

So into the spacious bar we went. It was rather cozy. There were cushioned seats all around and a nicely decorated dining table. A few elderly men sat together on wooden bar stools drinking and swearing in a most alarming way. But their swearing just as soon broke out into laughter, of the toothless kind.

But there was nobody who fit the description of the Dumpling Empress. My belly growled. Then suddenly a head poked up from behind a counter.

She was about 55 years old. A round woman with golden brown skin. Something familiar here. Anyway, this was the Dumpling Empress, we were sure.

There was a container on the counter full of large, round, fried dumplings and chunks of saltfish as big as a fist.

We questioned the woman.

"Yes man, people love my dumplings. Nobody can test my dumplings," said she with a wide, bright smile.

So what makes your dumplings so special?

"Mine are soft and nice. It's all in the oil. People don't understand the oil. You have to know how hot to make it and when to take it out." She really started to get excited now. I was a bit taken aback.

It was just after midday and while the woman said these words, two hungry looking patrons came into the shop to buy "some a di dumpling dem". One of the customers, a bespectacled, slender female, started smiling the second Miss Norma handed her a brown paper bag with the goodies.

People travel from all over to buy these dumplings. Miss Norma said many people have told her that they heard about her cooking prowess from friends.

Up to 12 lbs of flour daily

The famous dumpling maker said that on a good day, she can breeze through 12 pounds of flour, easily. In a single day!

At $10 a pop, it seems Miss Norma is on her way to building quite the dumpling empire.

"Just the other day one woman come in and buy 20 dumplings one time. I run out and the woman just sit and wait," she chuckled.

Now remember, Miss Norma is about 55 years old, and she's working in a bar.

"That is strange, but it's alright. The crowd this old woman draw, no young girl can test!" she gleamed.

But she is a strict bartender.

If you're a student, don't even think about trying to get a drink to buy in Miss Norma's bar. "Oh no. None of that. They cannot come in here with that." But Miss Norma's winning personality has gained her the respect of the townspeople. Everyone who came in while we were there, addressed her as 'Miss Norma' and were sure to say please when asking for something from behind the bar. No matter how inebriated they seemed.

Hard to part company

We found it hard to part company with this pleasant woman, but we sure will never forget her and her dumpling-making ways.

So back into the streets we went. You know what surprised me about the people from that part of Christiana? They already were well into their Christmas festivities. I mean well into it.

We walked down a narrow street that had been transformed into a market. It being mid-November, we asked the vendors if they planned to start selling sorrel anytime soon. The response was mixed with laughter: "That done long time, you late!"

Townspeople, we were told, had shopped months ago and by now, were already drowning in sorrel and fruit cake.

But that doesn't mean that the Christmas excitement was over. Far from it. People we talked to, said Grand Market in Christiana is unlike any celebration anywhere else. The countdown to that festive day has already started.

Fulfilling experience

While we were in the market, I heard a loud rumble and a dejected moo. That's right, a moo. Not a combination of sounds you hear everyday. I turned around and saw that a large blue and white truck with about three cows in the back, was slowly making its way through the crowd. Not exactly something you see on Knutsford Boulevard in St. Andrew on any given Friday.

The cows were on their way to meet their maker via a nearby butcher shop. Poor things. Well, at least we know there will be no meat shortage this Christmas.

So, having met a world-renowned dumpling expert and witnessed the final pre-slaughter expedition of a few noble cows, we had quite a full day. Time to head back to Kingston and a life of mediocre dumplings.

Left: A truckload of cows on the way to meet their maker.   Right: Miss Norma proudly poses with the framed article that hangs in her shop.

As usual, we welcome your feedback. Email us at robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com; Fax: 922-6223; or write: Robert Lalah, The Gleaner Company Ltd., 7 North Street, Kingston.