The components of a good dumpling sauce are simple, and it comes down to a balance of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy, and tangy. The base of the dipping sauce is salty soy sauce, which needs thinning out with hot water. The sweetness comes from sugar (the hot water helps dissolve it), while the sourness comes from a dash of rice vinegar. The spiciness comes from the addition of chili oil, as well as spicy sharp raw garlic. Sesame seeds and sesame oil round out the sauce with nutty richness.
