中国古馔文化之饺子Ancient Chinese food of the dumplings

饺子在中国的历史很长了，在南北朝时期已在民间广泛食用。南北朝著名文学家颜之推说“今之馄饨，形如偃月，天下通食也”，这里的偃月就是指的饺子。在中国古代饺子是在每年的除夕夜才食用，所以又叫‘交子’。到了中国南宋时期，冬至吃饺子也已成为了一种习俗。饺子在中国历史上还有一些其它名称，如馄饨。宋元话本《快嘴李翠莲记》中记录“烧卖、馄饨有何难，三汤两割我也会”，这里的馄饨就是铰子。中国人过年吃饺子有三个意思：1.饺子形状像元宝，人们吃了意愿“招财进宝”。2.饺子有馅，人们可以把吉祥如意的东西包进去，寄讬对新的一年的祈望。3.除夕晚吃饺子，有“更岁交子”的意思，有钱的意思。

Dumplings have a long history in China and have been widely served during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Zhitui Yan, a well-known writer of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, said, "The wonton of today is shaped likE a moon, which can be eaten in everywhere." The moon here refers to the dumplings.In ancient China, dumplings were eaten on New Year’s eve, so they were called as the “intersection” (In Chinese, connecting two years). In the Southern Song Dynasty of China, eating the dumplings in the winter solstice has become a custom.Dumplings have other names in Chinese history, such as flat food. As it is recorded in the Song and Yuan dialects, "Quick-tongued Cuilian Li" that "there is no difficulty in making Shumai and flat food, I also know the procedure of three soups and two cuts." The flat food here is the dumplings.There are three meanings for the Chinese people of eating dumplings for the New Year: 1. Dumplings are shaped like shoe-shaped gold ingots, with the willingness of "bring in wealth and treasure." 2. Dumplings have stuffing, people can pack the good things and their expectations of the new year. 3. On New Year’s Eve, eating dumplings has the meaning of "happy reunIon" and the meaning of money.