If you’re a fan of international cuisine - specifically, Chinese cuisine- you must have tried or at least heard of dumplings! Dumplings hold an exceptional significance in Chinese culture - the cuisine is incomplete without them, and if you’ve been to a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, you will find them at the top of the menu.
What are Dumplings?
Dumplings in San Francisco and worldwide are made by wrapping dough around any filling. The filling can be whatever you want it to be. From meat, chicken, and vegetables to cheese, you choose how you want to eat them. Almost every culture around the world has a variety of dumplings. You can enjoy them as soup dumplings, steamed, fried, etc.
In Chinese culture - dumplings are more than just a versatile food item. They signify comfort, hope, and prosperity. In this article, we’ll explore the centuries-old history of dumplings but remember that the next time you eat a dumpling, you do not just have a food item - you’re indulging in a significant part of Chinese culture.
The History of The Dumpling and Its Significance in Chinese Culture
Strong Roots in Chinese Folklore
Chinese folklore dates the origin of the dumpling back to the Han Dynasty. According to this legend, a traditional Chinese physician - Zhang Zhongjian, traveled back to his home village one winter and found the villagers suffering from frostbite. The disease was spreading fast and affecting the entire town.
He took scraps of dough and filled them with medicinal herbs, chili, and meat as a remedy. He fed this to the entire village, and everyone was cured in a few days. The dish has since been an integral part of Chinese cuisine and tradition.
A Strong Symbol of Love and Happiness
The legends don’t end there. It is also said that dumplings were a great way to increase the amount of food and keep more people full. When vegetables and seasonings are added to the dumplings, you don’t have to rely on the dough and meat to feed people. More options mean fuller bellies.
A Great Start to the Prosperous Year
Dumplings is also eaten on the eve of the Chinese Lunar new year to signify the start of a successful and happy year ahead. In ancient times, a typical day was split into 12 two-hour intervals in Chinese timekeeping.
The interval between 11 pm to 1 am was named Zi. The same interval was called Jiaozi. Jiaozi is very similar to the Chinese name for dumplings.
Families used to huddle together to make dumplings to eat during the jiaozi time. It is still, to date, a tradition followed, especially in the Northern parts of China. Eating these dumplings on the eve of the new year will bring immense luck and fortune to the family.
Wrapping Up
Chinese dumplings have certainly come a long way from being a cure for frostbite. They signify something special to everyone. We take our dumplings in San Francisco very seriously and pour all our love and effort into every dumpling we cook! United dumplings keep the classic recipe of the dumplings handed down through generations while also experimenting with adventurous flavors we’ve picked up over the years.
FAQs
Let's start with who invented dumplings, since this is where the story of the dumpling begins. Most experts believe that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD.
What do dumplings symbolize? ›
Dumplings are eaten during Chinese New Year because the dumplings themselves look like money pouches and are said to represent fortune and prosperity in the coming year.
What is hidden in dumplings? ›
Traditionally, dumplings are made on the eve of Chinese new year, and a small coin is hidden inside one. Whoever finds the coin is said to have good fortune for the new year! This is particularly the case for 'water dumplings' (水饺) – those boiled in water rather than pan fried.
What is the meaning of dumplings? ›
dumpling, small mass of leavened dough that is either boiled or steamed and served in soups or stews or with fruit. Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture.
Are dumplings Chinese or Japanese? ›
Its Japanese cousin is the gyoza. What's the difference between a jiaozi and gyoza? Turns out the two have a few key differences despite being quite similar. Originating in China, the dumpling, more commonly called the pot sticker, is made of wheat flour dough wrapper filled with meat and/or vegetables.
Are dumplings healthy? ›
As long as they're not pre-deep fried and contain whole, healthy ingredients they are an okay option, according to Austin. Aside from meat quality and how the dumplings have been cooked, the vegetable content (or lack thereof) is also crucial in knowing whether dumplings are a healthy food option.
What kind of meat is in dumplings? ›
Popular meat fillings include ground meat (usually pork, but sometimes beef or chicken), shrimp, and even fish. Popular mixtures include pork with Chinese cabbage, pork with garlic chives, pork and shrimp with vegetables, pork with spring onion, and garlic chives with scrambled eggs.
What is so special about dumplings? ›
And that's because they're shaped like the ingots of the ancient Chinese currency (during the Ming dynasty; 1368 to 1644 A.D.); these juicy little pockets are, therefore, seen to symbolize prosperity and wealth. That's why many Chinese families eat dumplings at midnight on New Year's Eve.
What does it mean when someone calls you dumpling? ›
dumpling in American English
3. a short or stout person. [1590–1600; dump (of uncert. orig.)
What is the proper name for dumplings? ›
In English people usually call jiaozi “dumplings” instead of its Chinese name; but other Chinese dishes like wontons, baozi, xiaolongbao, har gow, tangyuan, etc.
Pierogi are Eastern European stuffed dumplings that are usually boiled. As with many traditional foods, there are regional varieties with fillings ranging from sweet to savoury, meat to meatless.
Where is the birthplace of dumpling? ›
In Northern China, dumplings are commonly eaten with a dipping sauce made of vinegar and chilli oil or paste, and occasionally with some soy sauce added in. According to legends, jiaozi were invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty between 150 and 219 CE by Zhang Zhongjing, who was a popular Chinese medicine practitioner.
Are dumplings Chinese or Russian? ›
One theory suggests pelmeni, or stuffed boiled dumplings in general, originated in Siberia, possibly a simplified adaptation of the Chinese jiaozi (in some dialects it is called Bāomiàn "包麵/包面").
What is the history of the Chinese dumpling festival? ›
Originating from southern China, Dumpling Festival (also known as Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie) has its early origins in the worship of the river dragon before it become associated with the commemoration of Qu Yuan, a third century poet and patriotic statesman during China's Warring States period (475-221 BC).
Where did American dumplings come from? ›
Most claim the American South, or some might claim French Canadian roots. Some say what we know as American chicken and dumplings started as a cornmeal-based dough, boiled on top of turnip greens.
