Qingdao Garden in North Cambridge sells more than 1,200 dumplings a day on the weekends, as longtime customers order them fresh by the dozen ($5.95) or frozen in boxes of 50 ($16). There are eight varieties, all skillfully handmade. The pork dumplings with leek are sealed with a fabulous broth inside, which unleashes as you bite into it. The outer dough has a delightful, floury richness. The meatless dumplings (spinach, leek, and green bean) have made the restaurant a mecca for vegetarians. 

QINGDAO GARDEN2382 Massachusetts Avenue, North Cambridge, 617-492-7540, qingdaogarden.com