Who Actually Invented Dumplings? | Explains - video Dailymotion

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Which country actually invented dumplings? You’d probably think it’s China but historians have traced dumplings to Central Asia and the migration of Turkic people. It’s said that Turkic and Mongol tradesmen and horsemen traveled across Asia in cold winters carrying ‘mantu’, which we now call dumplings. That’s because 1600’s England called this delicious dough pocket ‘dumpling’, a sophisticated derivative of ‘lump’.   In fact, when it comes to the origins of mantu, historians encourage us to look at language. Most Asian cultures call the dumpling how the Turks originally did–Koreans call it mandu, Greek people call it manti, Afghans call it mantu, and Chinese people call it mantou too. But the origins aren’t the only debatable part of the convo–who has the best dumplings?  Host and Producer Yelda Ali  Producer Stephanie Tangkilisan Joy Jihyun Jeong  Associate Producer Manal Ahmed  Researcher and Writer Yelda Ali  Additional Researcher Manal Ahmed  Director of Photography Alison Boya Sun  Editor Rendy Abi Editor-in-Chief Keshia Hannam  Head of Production Stephanie Tangkilisan  Animator Fajar Alkan  Graphic Design Samuel Kang Fitra Pratama Annie Zhao  Additional Archival Material Getty Images Derek Chen Michelle Tang Joshua Weissman Wikimedia Tasty Sesame Disk Immediate Media Co TMGrup Legendary Eats Washington Post Coalcracker Bushcraft New York Times British Food History Ozlem's Turkish Table Cooking County The Spruce Eats Red House Spice Chasing The Donkey Tiktok/dannygrubs Tiktok/foodwithsoy Tiktok/xiangshegourmet Tiktok/foodnetwork  Additional Music MoodMode - Funny Whimsical Music Immersive Music - A Gentle Transition

Transcript

00:00 Is there any food in history that has united people

00:02 more than dumplings?

00:03 Dumplings are for everyone

00:04 and in every culture across the world.

00:07 They can be salty or sweet, the main course or dessert.

00:10 They come in many shapes, sizes, and fillings.

00:12 Dumplings can be boiled, steamed, fried, baked.

00:16 I'm Yael Dali, and I like to joke

00:18 that my DNA is that of a dumpling.

00:20 Every country across the Silk Road popped up,

00:22 from Turkey to Korea.

00:24 But which country actually invented dumplings?

00:27 And how did these little pockets become

00:29 local to so many cuisines?

00:32 This is ESC Explains.

00:34 The origins of the dumpling are highly contested

00:37 and remain uncertain.

00:39 The answer is there is no final answer.

00:42 But here's some of the story.

00:43 According to a Chinese folklore,

00:45 a physician named Zhang Zhongjing

00:48 made the first dumpling in the third century.

00:50 Dumplings are a staple in Chinese food and culture,

00:53 but did they begin there?

00:55 No, in fact, many theorize that Chinese dumplings

00:58 have foreign influences.

00:59 Historians trace the origins of dumplings

01:02 to Central Asia and the migration of Turkic people.

01:05 The Turks, related to the Mongols,

01:07 started conquering China in early fourth century.

01:10 The Mongol Empire, which then controlled the Silk Road,

01:13 is said to have created the dumpling.

01:15 And it's said that Turkic and Mongol tradesmen

01:18 and horsemen traveled across Asia in cold winters

01:22 carrying mantu, which we now call dumplings.

01:25 The frozen or dried mantu would quickly boil over campfires,

01:29 which was resourceful while traveling distances.

01:32 When it comes to the origins of mantu,

01:34 historians encourage us to look at language.

01:36 Most cultures call the dumpling how Turks originally did.

01:40 Koreans call it mandu, Greek people call it manti,

01:44 Afghans call it mantu,

01:45 and Chinese people call it mantu, too.

01:48 It's also said that ancient Chinese people

01:51 chose characters that approximated

01:53 the sound of the foreign word.

01:54 Dumplings later spread to Japan, Vietnam,

01:57 and farther in Southeast Asia,

01:59 and that's just the beginning.

02:00 You could say they went viral on the Silk Road.

02:03 This was for many reasons,

02:05 but the most important was it fed a lot of people.

02:08 In fact, it spread as food for poorer people.

02:12 This much meat may not feed many,

02:14 but this much meat mixed with some onions

02:17 or cabbage wrapped in dough can.

02:20 The Italian, Spaniards, and Portuguese

02:22 are said to have gotten the idea of stuffed dough parcels

02:26 through Arab conquerors and traders

02:28 bringing along with them stuffed dough from the Middle East.

02:31 So ravioli, gyoza, and samosas

02:34 are ultimately from the same family, a prehistoric one.

02:38 It was in 1600s Great Britain

02:40 that this delicious dough pocket

02:42 filled with cheese, meat, and veggies was named dumpling,

02:46 a sophisticated derivative from lump.

02:49 Today, dumplings are everywhere

02:51 and have connected everyone.

02:52 Turkish manti, Afghan mantu, Korean mandu,

02:57 Chinese gyoza, Japanese gyoza,

03:00 Tibetan momo, Bosnian klepe, Polish pierogies,

03:04 Italy's tortellini, the list does not end.

03:07 And the dumpling movement, it's not slowing down.

03:10 In fact, maybe we can all learn a thing or two

03:13 from this transnational delicacy

03:15 that every culture and person owns as their own.

03:19 Dumplings are not only adored and here to stay,

03:22 they're constantly evolving.

03:24 But you know, it's not evolving.

03:25 The rules on how to eat them, never with a fork.

03:28 Yes, you heard it here, do not pierce that dumpling.

03:32 Use your fingers or chopsticks.

03:35 And believe it or not, one dumpling does equal one bite.

03:38 Now, the origins aren't the only debatable part.

03:42 Who has the best dumplings?

03:44 (upbeat music)

03:47 (upbeat music)

03:50 (upbeat music)

03:52 (upbeat music)

03:55 (upbeat music)

Who Actually Invented Dumplings? | Explains

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