Dumplings occupy a special place in Chinese people's "heaven".

As the saying goes, "It's not as comfortable as lying down, and it's not as delicious as dumplings." This shows the status of dumplings in the national diet.

My family makes dumplings every once in a while. It can be said that many kinds of vegetables can be used as fillings, and they can be paired with beef, mutton, pork or seafood, or vegetarian dumplings to make them delicious and delicious.

Looking at the whole country, especially in the north, the frequency of eating dumplings is really high, which is evident from people's love for dumplings.

But, for the common dumplings, do you know its origin?

There are many historical records and folklore about the origin of dumplings.

The original name of dumplings is "Jiao Er", and it is said that it was first invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

According to legend, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the "Medical Sage" Zhang Zhongjing served as the prefect of Changsha, but later resigned and returned to his hometown.

Just in time for the winter solstice, he saw the people in Nanyang were suffering from hunger and cold, and their ears were frostbitten. Typhoid fever was prevalent at that time, and many people died of the disease.

Zhang Zhongjing summarized more than 300 years of clinical practice in the Han Dynasty, then built a medical shed there, set up a large pot, cooked mutton, chili peppers and medicinal materials to dispel cold and improve heat, wrap them in the shape of ears with dough, and cook them with soup.

Food is given to the poor.

The common people ate it from the winter solstice to New Year's Eve, resisting typhoid fever and curing their frozen ears.

From then on, the people in the village and later generations imitated the production and called it "dumpling ears".

The name "dumplings" (jiaozi) really appeared during the Song Dynasty. "Jiaozi" is recorded in "Tokyo Menghualu", which shows that there were many varieties of dumplings in the Song Dynasty.

"Jiao'er" is the etymology of the word "dumpling" in later generations.

By the Yuan Dynasty, there were more varieties of dumplings, and names such as Bianliejiaoer, Humpback Jiaoer, and Naomian Jiaoer often appeared in literary records at that time.

The dumplings of the Ming Dynasty are very similar to the dumplings of today. They are called "water dim sum" or "flat food" in "Ming Palace History".

According to research, the development of dumplings was quite common in the Qing Dynasty. At this time, the dumpling wrappers were made in various ways, and the dumpling fillings were rich in variety. The making methods could be boiled, steamed, or fried, that is, the current dumplings, steamed dumplings and pot stickers.

prototype.

In China, dumplings are not only a delicacy, but also a symbol.

When making dumplings, people often put Jin Ruyi, sugar, peanuts, dates and chestnuts into the fillings.

Those who eat as they wish and eat sweets will have sweeter days in the coming year; those who eat peanuts will be healthy and live longer; those who eat dates and chestnuts will have children early.

In some areas, when eating dumplings, people also eat some non-staple food to show good luck. For example, eating tofu symbolizes the happiness of the whole family; eating persimmons symbolizes everything goes well; and eating three fresh vegetables symbolizes the prosperity of the three Yangs.

In some places in the south, during the Chinese New Year, eggs are beaten, heated, wrapped in a wrapper and filled with meat, called egg dumplings.

In most parts of northern China, dumplings are a must-eat food during the Spring Festival every year. In many provinces and cities, there is also the custom of eating dumplings during the Winter Solstice.

Making dumplings on New Year's Eve has become a beautiful scenery, a tradition, a custom, unique to China.