Guan+Zhen+Zhen-Cultural+Resaerch

The baozi or Chinese bun and  jiaozi or dumpling have been a part Chinese dining culture for centuries. Both are common throughout all parts of China and a commonly eaten food. They have grown to be a large part of Chinese cuisine in everyday meals and during celebrations. Baozi and jiaozi have become important parts of China’s dining culture and remain so today. Baozi is a steam filled bun that         is very common within China. It is often eaten for breakfast. Baozi can be filled with either meat or vegetarian fillings. There are two different types of buns da bao which means big bun. These are around 10 cm across and are served individually. The other type is xiao bao which means little bun. Xiao bao are more commonly eaten in restaurants and orders are anywhere between three to ten baozi. Baozi is especially adored by those of the north and are often eaten as the main dish instead of rice. Baozi has survived for many generations. It is believed to be dated all the way back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280). Zhuge Liang was a military strategist during this time and had been leading an expedition into South China when his army was hit with a plague. As a sacrifice to the gods then as a cure for his soldiers, he made a steamed ball made of flour that he filled with pork and beef. It was called mantou which means flour head. Baozi is still referred as mantou in parts of southern China. As it spread north it began to be known as Baozi because bao means to wrap. Additionally, Jiaozi has done very much to influence the dining culture of China. They have also become a widespread food in China. Jiaozi are dumplings. They are a half circle shaped stuffed pasta filled with different types of fillings. A typical meal of dumplings is made of twenty to thirty dumplings. Some of the most popular fillings are minced pork, beef, cabbage, and minced garlic and chives. They are a traditional food from the north of China. People from the southern part of China have a variation of dumplings. They typically do not eat or grow grains, so their dumplings are made of rice instead. While the history of jiaozi remains unclear, they are known to have been around in their current shape since the Tang Dynasty (618-909). Archaeologists found proof in Turpan’s Astana Tombs in 1972. After digging a round, they discovered a wooden bowl containing several crescent moon shaped dumplings. Dumplings became very popular in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and jiaozi was sold a round each corner. They still remain a very popular food item. Also jiaozi are very important in the celebrating of the Spring Festival among northerners. On the eve of the Spring Festival many households eat dumplings. People do this because it is said to bring good wealth for the new year. Dumplings supposedly symbolize wealth because they resemble gold ingots which was the currency that had been used very long ago.

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