Dumpling dinner

Dumpling dinner

Dumpling Dinner is almost the alternative name refers to the cuisine of Xi`an. Actually, whether you are traveling in the north or the south of China, one delicacy you are almost sure to find on the menu is the dumpling (Jiaozi). A universal favorite, the Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebratory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese 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 banquet. 　　As a story goes that long 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 frostbitten ears were healed. The doctor's fame became legendary and thus the dumpling became a well-received addition to the Chinese diet. 　　Xi'an, an ancient city that has been the nation's capital of many 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 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 colors, flavors and shapes 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. Nowadays, the word "Dumpling Dinner" is almost another name referring to a Xi`an tour.