Dumplings are eaten during the Chinese New Year, dumplings are eaten on the fifth day of the first lunar month, and dumplings are also eaten during the winter solstice... For many people, dumplings seem to be the "standard" part of the festival, embodying countless beautiful meanings.

However, it is also said that dumplings are a staple food and local snack in northern China, and are also a New Year food. However, in the south, glutinous rice balls, sesame oil chicken stewed at the beginning of winter, etc. are generally eaten during the winter solstice. The custom of eating dumplings during the festival mainly exists in the north.

So, why do northerners like to eat dumplings during the holidays?

Where did dumplings come from?

Data map: The picture shows the finished handmade dumplings.

Photo by Wang Haoyang The "evolutionary history" of a delicacy There are several different theories about the origin of dumplings.

One of them believes that dumplings are derived from the ancient "jiaozi", which is also the etymology of the current word "dumplings".

According to records, dumplings were known as Lao Wan or Fen Jiao in the Tang Dynasty.

In the Song Dynasty, it was called jiaozi. "Tokyo Menghualu" said that Bianjing shops had crystal jiaoer and fried jiaozi.

In the Qing Dynasty, in addition to "bianshi", dumplings were also called "boiled dumplings".

There were many ways to make dumplings in the Ming Dynasty.

For example, there are baked dumplings and fried dumplings made with hot noodles; Song Xu’s "Song Family Health Ministry" has a kind of "Mitojiaoer", which is an oil filled with peeled walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts or molasses and bean paste.

Fried dumplings.

Later, "Qingyi Leichao" compiled by the writer Xu Ke mentioned that "boiled in water and made into soup are called dumplings." This can probably be regarded as a relatively clear description and definition of "dumplings".

Over time, various legends, some quite legendary, have been attached to this food.

It is said that the weather was very cold when Nuwa created humans, and the ears of the little people made of loess could easily fall off. In order to fix the ears, she thought of a way.

Nuwa pricked a small eye in the little man's ear, tied the ear with a thin string, and put the other end of the string in the little man's mouth and bit it.

Over time, people began to make dumplings to commemorate Nuwa, saying that if they eat dumplings in winter, their ears will not freeze off.

When do you start eating dumplings on New Year’s Day?

So, when did people start eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year?

Data map: The dumplings are ready.

Photo by Yang Bo Wang Renxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that dumplings, as a promised delicacy on the first day of the Lunar New Year, may have originated in the Ming Dynasty, and there is also a special game of wrapping things in dumplings.

This statement does have traces to follow.

According to "Ziuzhongzhi" written by Liu Ruoyu in the Ming Dynasty, dumplings were called "Bian Shi" in the Ming Palace.

It is said that on the first day of the first lunar month, "drink pepper and cypress wine, drink water and snacks, that is, flat food. Or secretly wrap one or two silver coins in it, and those who get it can predict the good fortune of the year."

Wrapping money in "water snacks" will bring good luck to the person who eats them in the coming year. This is very similar to the current New Year custom.

In the Qing Dynasty, "Yanjing Suishiji" also recorded the eating of dumplings during the New Year. For example, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, "no matter rich or poor, high or low, they all used white flour to make dumplings (dumplings) and eat them, which is called boiled dumplings. This is true across the country.

There is no difference."

At this time, the popularity of dumplings seemed to be growing.

"Tian Zhi Ou Wen" mentioned: "From the first day to the fifth day of the first lunar month, the common name is Po Wu. In the old days, water dumplings were eaten on the fifth day, and in the north it was called boiled dumplings." Some people say that this fully shows the importance of dumplings in local folk customs.

and fondness.

Dumplings vs. Wontons However, if you look closely at the relevant customs, you can find interesting points in the proverbs, such as "On October 1st, when the winter solstice arrives, every household eats dumplings" and "Winter Solstice Wontons and Summer Solstice Noodles."

Data map: The picture shows the Wufu Dumpling Banquet to welcome the winter solstice.

Photo by Han Zhangyun It is said that in ancient times, wontons and dumplings once referred to a kind of food. Wontons appeared very early, and their appearance is very similar to the "Chaos" without seven orifices mentioned in "Zhuangzi", hence the name.

The Ming Dynasty's "Wanli Yehuobian" quoted some interesting couplets that were popular in the capital at that time, such as "thin-skinned and crispy to meaty wontons, ton tree dumplings to peach blossom shaomai". From here we can see that dumplings,

Wonton has a clear distinction.

Folklore expert Xiao Fang said that in ancient times, the winter solstice was considered the starting point of the year, so wontons were eaten.

Dumplings are similar in shape to wontons and are made in similar ways. Later, the custom slowly evolved and became eating dumplings during the New Year.

But he also mentioned that the custom of eating dumplings during festivals does mainly exist in the north, such as Winter Solstice, Beginning of Winter, etc. Eating dumplings on New Year's Eve means "delivering at the time of the child".

In ancient southern customs, dumplings were not very popular.

"Earlier before, there was no wheat even in places farther south." He said that in the past, the South used to eat glutinous rice balls and winter solstice dumplings during the Winter Solstice. During the Chinese New Year, glutinous rice cakes and rice cakes were eaten. During the New Year's Eve dinner, various stir-fried vegetables were eaten, but not

dumpling.