Dumplings have a history of more than 1800 years. Originally, it was used to cure illness. It was reportedly invented by Zhang Zhongjing, one of the most famous practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in ancient China.

In a particular winter, it was extremely cold and febrile disease became an epidemic. Many poor people submitted to the cold weather and suffered frostbite in their ears.

Zhang Zhongjing was upset and determined to fight against the disease. He mixed lamb, chilli peppers and herbs together and then shredded them as fillings. The dough was used to wrap these fillings into ear-shaped food.

After boiling it, he gave them to the patients, each patient with two “ears” and a bowl of hot soup. Dozens of days past, it cured the patients’ frostbite and brought the epidemic under control.

That was the birth of dumplings.