19/10/2026
How Did Dumplings Come About?
Legend traces the history of dumplings back to a man called Zhang Zhongjing–also known as the Sage of Traditional Chinese Medicine–in the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D).
The idea of dumplings supposedly struck Zhang when he returned to his ancestral village during the winter after a long period of absence. Many villagers were unable to cope with the harsh cold and suffered from frostbite, especially around their ears. Spurred into action, Zhang cooked up lamb, black peppers, and a few medicinal herbs, shredded them, then wrapped them in scraps of dough. He folded the dumplings to look like little ears and boiled them.
While nobody knows for sure if the dumplings were indeed useful for frostbite, one thing was clear: the villagers loved the taste of Zhang’s creation so much that they began imitating Zhang’s recipe with additional ingredients like vegetables and other kinds of meat. And even ate them long after spring began.
Don't miss this delicious opportunity to travel the world through dumplings from around the world at Melbourne International Dumpling Festival.
📅 Monday, 02 November 2026
⏰ 12 PM–10 PM
📍 Queen Victoria Market
🎟️ Grab your FREE ticket: https://midf2026.eventbrite.com
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