Dumpling is called Jiaozi in Chinese. It is a common dish in North of China. It is also the must-eat dish in some special days, such as Chinese Spring Festival Day. There are a wide variety of Jiaozi in different shapes and with different stuffing. Different stuffing has different nutrition and taste. Cooking methods include steaming, boiling, pan-frying, deep frying, and roasting. Enjoy a delicious dumpling dinner will a delicious dumpling dinner will complete your China journey.
Whether you are travell-ing in the north or the south of China, one delicacy you are almost sure to find on the menu is the dumpling. A universal favourite, the Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebra-tory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese lunar Spring Festival. The dumpling can be anything from a quick snack to a delicacy with which to entertain family and friends or the basis of a veritable feast.
A well-loved story tells how long ago during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing travelled back to his hometown in the county of Nanyang. He found the people were suffering from an outbreak of typhoid and dying from hunger and cold. In fact the weather was so cold that many had frostbitten ears to add to their troubles. The kindly doctor set about concocting a mixture of mutton, cayenne and a special medicine that he wrapped in a piece of ear-shaped dough. The dumplings he created were fed to the starving people and by New Year's Eve, not only were they saved from the typhoid epidemic but also their frost bitten ears were healed. The doctor's fame became legendary and thus the dumpling became a favourite addition to the Chinese diet.
Xian, an ancient city that has been the nation's capital during no less than eleven dynasties spanning more than a thousand years is regarded as the home if not the birthplace of the great dumpling tradition. It was here that the art of creating the most tasty and delicate of dumplings was refined and no visit to the city is complete unless you partake of a Dumpling Dinner.
This is an experience for the dumpling connoisseur, the flavours, shapes and colours will tempt the palette, while the elegant names and stories attached to each variety are truly amazing. It is no less amazing that a simple way of preparing food has become so very popular and sophisticated that it is now considered to be as much a work of art as a tasty morsel.
It is said that to visit Xian without seeing the fantastic Terracotta Army as well as having a Dumpling Dinner means that you have not really been to Xian at all!
Dumpling (Jiaozi, Jiao Zi) is a traditional popular food in China
Although the Dumpling Banquet in Xi'an is still called dumpling, its style, colour and taste have changed much, add some new temperament and interest.
The most famous Dumpling Banquet is in Xi'an Restaurant andShaanxi Song and Dance Show place in Shaanxi province . Xi'an Dumpling Banquet is brought forth new ideas in its color, fragrance, taste and style; meanwhile, is added ancient culture. Thus, the dumpling is no longer one kind of simple flour food.
People change the tradition of using pork, beef, mutton and vegetable as its filling, chicken, duck, fish, pork, meat, egg, delicacies from land and sea and fresh vegetable, etc, in one word, include steaming, frying, toasting, etc.
They add many tastes such as sour, sweet, peppery, hemp, etc. Concerning the style, they make out various pretty and lovely styles such as flower, bird, grass, fish, ect. Besides the traditional style of a new moon like.
People who taste Xi'an Dumpling Banquet have had a deep happy memory. This is not only because its beautiful styles and delicious taste, but also because it includes plentiful cultural intension.
For example, "Baochuan steamed dumpling", it uses shepherd's purse and pork as filling, draws its material from the legend of Wangbaochuan digging shepherd's purse in the south of Changan city.
"Black Rice steamed dumpling", uses the black rice as filling, draws its material from the legend that Zhangqian dreamed Wenqu, found black rice and went to the Western Region.
The last dish is "chrysanthemum chafing dish", waiter or waitress boil pearl dumpling like the size of smallest finger in front of the guest, then, distribute to every people. When guest taste the pearl dumpling (more or less), they will get blessing related with number:
When you eat one dumpling, the blessing is to plain sailing;
two dumplings - a double blessing has descended upon the house;
three dumplings - to go up three grades in a row ;
four dumplings - to get rich in four seasons;
five dumplings - an abundant harvest of all food crops;
six dumplings - everything goes well;
seven dumplings - seven stars shin upon you(good luck) ;
eight dumplings - the Eight Immortals crossing the sea(each one showing his or her special prowess);
nine dumplings - the highest above all;
ten dumplings - be perfect in every way.
