The History of Dumplings
Posted on 24. Jan, 2010 by grace in Dumplings, Lunar New Year
Courtesy of Twin Marquis
The Dumpling is one of the main dishes on the Chinese New Year menu. Its history dates back to 200 B.C. with its ancestor Han Dynasty’s “Wonton”. Wonton acquires its shape for commemorating the creator of the world in the famous fable, Pan Gu. In the fable, Pan Gu ends the chaotic states by separating the world into two half-egg shaped parts: sky and earth.
The earliest record of dumpling in ancient literature was during 500 A.D., which says Wonton “shaped like half moon and food was passed around the world.” At that time, due to undeveloped cooking methods and lack of cooking equipment, the dumpling, with wrap and stuffing, was considered an extremely delicate food. Its delicacy made it an exclusive dish to savor. People ate them with soup and the style is still popular in some areas, however, different places have different soup bases. Eating dumplings soup started in the Tang Dynasty.
In 1972, Chinese archaeologists discovered dumplings in a Tang grave near Tulufan, Xinjiang. Its shape was similar to the modern dumpling.
Dumplings gradually became the ideal Spring Festival food in the northern part of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Spring Festival, every house have tables filled with white and shiny dumplings. The first Spring Festival dumpling meal must be eaten by the midnight of Chinese New Year’s Eve.
People associate different meanings with dumplings. People stuff dumpling with items to express good expectations of the New Year. For example, stuffing with gold jewels expressed “best wishes for next year”; sugar and honey meant “to more happy days in the future”; shelled peanuts meant “good health and longevity (peanuts are also called long-living nut)”; jujube and chestnut meant “fortune and blessings for a child for a couple.” Also, because the dumpling’s shape is like that of gold ingot (ancient Chinese money), eating dumpling during the Spring Festival means to “gather money.”
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