Traditional Chinese cuisine: Dumplings (饺子)

Preface: Dumplings (饺子) occupy a special place on Chinese dining tables. They are not only a household delicacy but also carry rich culture and emotions.

饺Jiǎo子zi ， 这zhè道dào源yuán自zì中zhōng国guó的de传chuán统tǒng美měi食shí ， 早zǎo已yǐ成chéng为wéi了le无wú数shù家jiā庭tíng餐cān桌zhuō上shàng的de常cháng客kè 。
Dumplings, this traditional Chinese cuisine, have long become a staple on the dining tables of countless families.

它Tā们men形xíng状zhuàng小xiǎo巧qiǎo ， 皮pí薄báo馅xiàn多duō ， 一yī口kǒu咬yǎo下xià ， 鲜xiān美měi的de汤tāng汁zhī和hé丰fēng富fù的de馅xiàn料liào在zài口kǒu中zhōng绽zhàn放fàng ， 让ràng人rén回huí味wèi无wú穷qióng 。
They are small in shape, with thin skin and plenty of filling. With one bite, the delicious broth and rich filling burst in the mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

饺Jiǎo子zi的de历lì史shǐ可kě以yǐ追zhuī溯sù到dào很hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián ， 那nà时shí的de中zhōng国guó人rén为wèi了le在zài寒hán冷lěng的de冬dōng天tiān里lǐ找zhǎo到dào一yī丝sī温wēn暖nuǎn ， 便biàn创chuàng造zào了le这zhè种zhǒng用yòng面miàn皮pí包bāo裹guǒ馅xiàn料liào的de食shí物wù 。
The history of dumplings can be traced back a long, long time ago. At that time, Chinese people invented this food wrapped in dough with filling inside in order to find a bit of warmth during the cold winter.

相Xiāng传chuán ， 中zhōng国guó的de医yī圣shèng张zhāng仲zhòng景jǐng见jiàn百bǎi姓xìng忍rěn饥jī挨ái冻dòng ， 就jiù叫jiào上shàng徒tú弟dì架jià起qǐ大dà锅guō ， 煮zhǔ起qǐ了le驱qū寒hán的de药yào汤tāng 。
According to legend, the Chinese medical saint Zhang Zhongjing saw the people suffering from hunger and cold, so he ordered his disciples to set up a big pot and boil a medicinal soup to drive away the cold.

他Tā精jīng选xuǎn了le羊yáng肉ròu ， 还hái加jiā了le一yī些xiē能néng驱qū寒hán的de药yào材cái ， 放fàng进jìn锅guō里lǐ慢màn炖dùn 。
He carefully selected lamb and added some medicinal herbs that can drive away cold, and slowly stewed it in a pot.

等Děng肉ròu炖dùn得de烂làn熟shú后hòu ， 他tā就jiù把bǎ肉ròu切qiē碎suì ， 用yòng薄báo薄báo的de面miàn皮pí一yī包bāo ， 捏niē成chéng耳ěr朵duǒ的de样yàng子zi ， 再zài下xià到dào锅guō里lǐ煮zhǔ熟shú 。
fter the meat is cooked to perfection, he cuts it into small pieces, wraps it in a thin layer of dough, shapes it into an ear shape, and then puts it in the pot to cook.

煮Zhǔ好hǎo的de这zhè些xiē “ 小xiǎo耳ěr朵duǒ ” 热rè气qì腾téng腾téng ， 分fēn给gěi那nà些xiē冷lěng得de发fā抖dǒu 、 耳ěr朵duǒ冻dòng伤shāng的de乡xiāng亲qīn们men吃chī 。
The cooked ‘little ears’ were steaming hot and served to the villagers who were shivering from the cold and suffering from ear frostbite.

人Rén们men吃chī了le这zhè种zhǒng食shí物wù后hòu ， 身shēn子zi立lì马mǎ暖nuǎn和huò起qǐ来lái ， 耳ěr朵duǒ也yě热rè乎hū乎hū的de ， 冻dòng伤shāng逐zhú渐jiàn痊quán愈yù 。
After people eat this kind of food, their bodies immediately warm up, their ears also warm up, and frostbite gradually heals.

这Zhè种zhǒng食shí物wù逐zhú渐jiàn推tuī广guǎng开kāi来lái ， 人rén们men叫jiào它tā “ 饺jiǎo子zi ”。
This type of food is gradually being promoted and people call it “dumplings”.

自Zì宋sòng代dài开kāi始shǐ ， 有yǒu了le冬dōng至zhì日rì吃chī饺jiǎo子zi的de习xí俗sú ， 自zì明míng朝cháo以yǐ来lái有yǒu了le正zhēng月yuè初chū一yī吃chī饺jiǎo子zi的de习xí俗sú 。
Since the Song Dynasty, there has been a custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice, and since the Ming Dynasty, there has been a custom of eating dumplings on the first day of the first lunar month.

随Suí着zhe时shí间jiān的de推tuī移yí ， 饺jiǎo子zi的de馅xiàn料liào变biàn得de越yuè来lái越yuè丰fēng富fù多duō样yàng ， 从cóng最zuì初chū的de猪zhū肉ròu 、 白bái菜cài ， 到dào后hòu来lái的de海hǎi鲜xiān 、 蔬shū菜cài等děng ， 各gè种zhǒng食shí材cái都dōu可kě以yǐ成chéng为wéi饺jiǎo子zi的de馅xiàn料liào 。
As time went by, the fillings of dumplings became more and more diversified, ranging from the original pork and cabbage to later seafood, vegetables, and various other ingredients that can be used as fillings.

而Ér饺jiǎo子zi的de制zhì作zuò方fāng式shì ， 也yě逐zhú渐jiàn从cóng家jiā庭tíng手shǒu工gōng制zhì作zuò ， 发fā展zhǎn到dào了le现xiàn代dài化huà的de机jī械xiè生shēng产chǎn 。 但Dàn无wú论lùn制zhì作zuò方fāng式shì如rú何hé变biàn化huà ， 那nà份fèn对duì饺jiǎo子zi的de热rè爱ài和hé期qī待dài ， 却què始shǐ终zhōng如rú一yī 。
And the way of making dumplings has gradually evolved from handmade at home to modern mechanical production. But no matter how the production method changes, the love and anticipation for dumplings remain the same.

在Zài中zhōng国guó ， 饺jiǎo子zi不bù仅jǐn仅jǐn是shì一yī道dào美měi食shí ， 更gèng是shì一yī种zhǒng文wén化huà的de象xiàng征zhēng 。 特Tè别bié是shì在zài春chūn节jié期qī间jiān ， 家jiā家jiā户hù户hù都dōu会huì围wéi坐zuò在zài一yī起qǐ包bāo饺jiǎo子zi ， 这zhè不bù仅jǐn是shì一yī种zhǒng传chuán统tǒng习xí俗sú ， 更gèng是shì一yī种zhǒng家jiā庭tíng团tuán聚jù和hé亲qīn情qíng传chuán递dì的de方fāng式shì 。
In China, dumplings are not just a delicacy, but also a symbol of culture. Especially during the Spring Festival, every household will gather together to make dumplings. This is not only a traditional custom, but also a way of family reunion and emotional bonding.

饺Jiǎo子zi的de形xíng状zhuàng也yě寓yù意yì着zhe吉jí祥xiáng和hé财cái富fù ， 因yīn为wèi它tā们men的de形xíng状zhuàng与yǔ古gǔ代dài的de元yuán宝bǎo相xiāng似sì ， 所suǒ以yǐ吃chī饺jiǎo子zi也yě被bèi视shì为wéi一yī种zhǒng祈qí求qiú好hǎo运yùn和hé财cái富fù的de方fāng式shì 。
The shape of dumplings also symbolizes good luck and wealth, as they resemble ancient gold ingots. Therefore, eating dumplings is also seen as a way to seek good luck and wealth.

如Rú今jīn ， 饺jiǎo子zi已yǐ经jīng走zǒu出chū了le国guó门mén ， 成chéng为wéi了le世shì界jiè各gè地dì人rén们men喜xǐ爱ài的de美měi食shí 。 无Wú论lùn是shì在zài亚yà洲zhōu的de餐cān馆guǎn ， 还hái是shì在zài欧ōu美měi的de超chāo市shì ， 你nǐ都dōu可kě以yǐ找zhǎo到dào饺jiǎo子zi的de身shēn影yǐng 。
Today, dumplings have gone beyond national borders and become a favorite food for people all over the world. Whether in Asian restaurants or supermarkets in Europe and America, you can find dumplings.

这Zhè道dào源yuán自zì中zhōng国guó的de传chuán统tǒng美měi食shí ， 不bù仅jǐn满mǎn足zú了le人rén们men的de味wèi蕾lěi ， 更gèng成chéng为wéi了le连lián接jiē不bù同tóng文wén化huà和hé国guó家jiā的de桥qiáo梁liáng 。
This traditional Chinese cuisine not only satisfies people’s taste buds, but also becomes a bridge connecting different cultures and countries.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!