Like most families, the Lees have their traditions. For them, it’s making dumplings.

While it was never a weekly activity growing up, it was always an event.

A-Tu Lee, known as “Grandpa Lee,” would pull out all of the ingredients for his daughter Jeanne’s friends and guests. The husband of one of Jeanne’s friends still talks about the dumplings five years later.


What You Need To Know

  • Two Little Dumplings was started during the pandemic

  • The Lee family has been making dumplings for generations and it has become a tradition

  • They're sharing their culture in hopes of spreading a sense of community

“We showed them how to make these dumplings, and they had such a good time doing it with us, but also the flavors just stood out to them,” says Jeanne.

A-Tu and his wife, Min-Tzu Hsu Lee, run Grace Manor in Greenville. Because of the pandemic, the retreat had to cancel reservations last summer. That meant for the first time in 30 years, they had their busiest season off, and it led to plenty of dumpling-making opportunities with Jeanne, her husband and their two children.

As a way to bring in some money, Jeanne suggested they begin a business selling frozen dumplings. Named after Jeanne’s daughters, Two Little Dumplings was born.

“It’s our family tradition, yes, but also, I think it’s a universal thing where what we love doing is coming together as a family around the table, having food together,” says Jeanne.

They offer several flavors — chicken, beef, and a seasonal cod. Pretty much every member of the family is involved, helping to share their culture with the rest of the Capital Region.

“It’s just been great, too, as a family to start something new together and to have all of our different gifts and talents to pour in together as a product,” says Jeanne.

Jeanne’s daughters are responsible for writing inspiring quotes on cards that go into customers’ orders. Dumplings can be ordered online, with a pickup time scheduled on Mondays and Saturdays.

“In the future, we would love, eventually down the road, to have a storefront, if that’s something we can eventually realize. And part of that is not to just be a place to offer food. We want to be a place where people come for community,” says Jeanne.