Xi'an is not only a world-famous tourist city and a treasure house of cultural relics, but also well-known for its cuisine, especially its dumpling, called Jiaozi in chinese. Xi'an dumpling banquet is one of the most popular food in Xi'an. It is a pity without taste the delicious dumpling if you are travelling in Xi'an.
The shape of the dumpling resembles that of ancient gold and silver ingots or a crescent moon, and symbolizes the hope for a year of plenty. In some places, people use sugar to stuff the dumpling to wish for a sweet life; others always put one or two clean coins in the dumplings that means if you happen to come across one with a coin inside, you will enjoy good luck.
The characteristic of the Xi'an dumpling banquet
Xi'an dumpling features various kinds of materials and diffent kinds of shapes, it with pretty looking and great taste. The wonderful impression will be left in your mind after you try the dumpling banquet.
The cooking ways of the dumplings
In Xi'an Dumpling Banquet, the dumplings are usually boiled, some are also steamed, grilled or fried.
Three Fabulous Xi'an Food
Xi'an dumplings, Tang style dish and Beef (Lamb) Stew of Bread are together called 'three fabulous Xi'an food'.
The legend of the dumplings
According to a well-loved story that during the Eastern Dynasty (25-220 AD) a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing travelled back to his hometown in the county of Nanyang. He found many people were dying from hunger and cold for suffering from an outbreak of typhoid. Actually, 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 the dumpling became a favourite dish among the chinese people.
Modern Dumpling Banquet in Xi'an
Xi'an Dumpling Banquet is brought forth new ideas in its color, fragrance, taste and style; more important, is added ancient culture. So the dumpling is no longer a kind of simple flour food. There are many materials are uesed as fillings according to different favors, like pork, beef, mutton and vegetable, chicken, duck, fish, pork, meat, egg, etc. And there are different tastes such as sour, sweet, peppery, etc. Apart from the traditional style of a new moon like, there are various pretty and lovely styles such as flower, bird, grass, fish, ect.
Xi'an Dumpling Banquet will give you a deep happy memory. This is not because its beautiful styles and delicious taste, but also because it includes plentiful cultural intension. Like "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.
Blessing Numbers
There is an interesting saying that when you taste the delicious dumplings, the number of the dumplings you eat has a special meaning and blessing.