The origin and history of steamed buns

Shuxi, a writer in the Western Jin Dynasty, wrote in "Fu on Cake": "When enjoying a banquet at the right time, it is appropriate to set up the mantou." The "mantou" here is the current steamed bun.

The origin of steamed buns can be found in the "Jiyuan of Things" compiled by Gao Cheng of the Song Dynasty: "Zhuge Liang was marching south, and he took the face and painted the human head as a sacrifice."

According to legend, after Zhuge Liang captured and conquered Meng Huo seven times, when he reached Lu River, the army could not cross the river, so he chopped the beef and mutton into meat paste, mixed it into mince, breaded it with flour, and made it into a human head. It seems that the army crossed smoothly after the sacrifice. This kind of sacrifice was called "mantou", also called mantou, and later called "mantou".

In the Tang and Song Dynasties, steamed buns gradually became the staple food of wealthy people in the Yin Dynasty. Not only did the Han people in the Central Plains like to eat them, but the Khitan nobles of the Liao Kingdom also regarded them as a delicacy.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, the "wine shop" in "Mengliang Lu" records: the hotel specializes in grouted steamed buns, thin-skinned spring cocoon buns, shrimp buns, etc. The "Baoer" called here should be the "Baozi" in the dialect. At this time, the fillings of the steamed buns are already very rich, but there is still no specific classification between steamed buns and steamed buns.

In the Qing Dynasty, there was finally a clear distinction between steamed buns and steamed buns. "Qingbai Leichao" records: Steamed buns, also known as steamed buns, are fermented crumb noodles, steamed and raised into a round shape, without fillings, and must be eaten with food. The so-called steamed buns in the south are also fermented and steamed with crumb noodles. Ripe, raised into a round shape, it is actually a steamed bun, and steamed buns existed in the Song Dynasty.

Today, the north and the south still have different names for steamed buns, and the fillings and tastes are also different. Northerners have a bold personality and are more unsophisticated in their choice of fillings for steamed buns. Carrots, kelp, vermicelli, eggs, eggplants, dried tofu, and sauerkraut can all be used as fillings, and the texture may be crispy or crunchy. Southerners are delicate and gentle, advocating light and small portion eating habits. They seem to pay less attention to satiety and pursue fine production standards. They require thin skin but no juice leakage to show their superb production skills.