DUMPLING

Jiao（饺）, the Chinese pronunciation of “dumplings,” have been referred to as a classic staple of Chinese cuisine with a long history that extends back thousands of years. These half-moon shaped goodies are stuffed with a variety of fillings such as pork, beef, lamb, egg and vegetables which offer an endless variety of fillings. By using different cooking methods like pan frying, boiling, and steaming, dumplings can possess unique and distinctive flavors.

According to legend, Chinese stuffed dumplings were invented during the Han Dynasty by a man named Zhang Zhongjing. The event occurred when Zhang returned to his ancestral village during the winter after a long absence. He noticed that many of his fellow villagers were suffering from frostbite, particularly around their ears. As a way to solve this problem, Zhang cooked up a batch of mutton, chili, and healing herbs then wrapped them in scraps of dough. He folded the dumplings to look like little ears, boiled them, and then handed them out to his afflicted neighbors. Who knows if they cured frostbite? However, the villagers loved the taste of Zhang’s creation so much that they continued making dumplings long after spring began.