is vegetable suet like Crisco - vegetable shortening?

as for dumplings.... hey, we're the land of immigrants... what kind of dumpling do you want? drop dumplings, filled? pick a continent or region... :) you name we got it somewhere...

here we have chicken & dumplings or chicken & biscuits ... chicken can be fried or stewed... but you need a nice rich gravey to smother it all with.