Xi'an Dumpling Dinner

Whether you are travell-ing in the north or the south of China, one delicacy you are almost sure to find on the menu is the dumpling. A universal favourite, the Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebra-tory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese lunar 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 feast.

无论你在中国的南方还是北方，菜单上必不可少的一个就是饺子。作为大众都比较喜欢的食物，中国的饺子有悠久的历史，它是中国庆祝传统节日的必吃食物，比如 春节。饺子是从快餐到招待家人，朋友的的美味都可以。

A well-loved story tells how 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 frost bitten ears were healed. The doctor's fame became legendary and thus the dumpling became a favourite addition to the Chinese diet.

一个发生在东汉的爱情故事，一位名叫张仲景的大夫，周游以后回到他的家乡南阳县，发现这里爆发了伤寒病，许多人因饥饿和寒冷而死。因为天气实在是太 冷了，很多人冻伤了耳朵，特别的麻烦。好心的张仲景就亲自做了羊肉汤，放了辣椒和一种特别的药材，把他们包裹在一种耳朵形的面团里。在除夕夜，他发明的饺 子救活了饥饿的群众，不仅治好了人们的伤寒症，而且耳朵的冻伤也好了。后来张仲景的名声就越来越大，饺子也成了人们传统节日的必吃食物。