Dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing.

Dumplings are traditional Chinese food. They are filled with dough and shaped like a half-moon or ingot. The wrapped dumplings can be made into steamed dumplings, fried dumplings or soup dumplings. There are different opinions about the origin of dumplings. Some people think that dumplings evolved from wontons, others think that dumplings originated from ancient "coins", and there are also legends that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a native of Nieyang, Nanyang (now Dengzhou, Henan) in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

In its long development process, it has had many names. In ancient times, it had names such as "Laowan", "Bianshi", "Dumpling Bait" and "Fanjiao". Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the word "dumpling" has been commonly used. Dumplings are a staple food and local snack in northern China. They are also a New Year food. The custom of eating dumplings during festivals mainly exists in the northern region.

The historical origin of dumplings

There are different opinions about the origin of dumplings. Some people think that dumplings evolved from wontons, while others think that dumplings originated from ancient "coins". 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.

For a long time, there was no strict distinction between dumplings and wontons. Yan Zhitui of the Northern Qi Dynasty once said: "Today's wontons are shaped like a crescent moon and are eaten all over the world." It proves that at this time, although it was called "wontons", the current "dumplings" had already been formed and were quite popular. From a folk perspective, in the past era of material poverty, dumplings were a rare delicacy. ?

Before the Song Dynasty, dumplings were called "Jiaozi" or "Shuijiaoer". The name "Bian Shi" began to appear in the Yuan Dynasty. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the word "dumpling" has been commonly used.