In China's 5,000-year-old history and culture, food culture is one of the eye-catching business cards, and there are many interesting anecdotes related to food behind many delicacies. Let's take a look at the stories and origins behind these delicacies.
1.Dumplings. 
Northerners eat dumplings with the greatest respect for the winter solstice, and it is said that dumplings are in honor of Zhang Zhongjing, the "medical saint" of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Legend has it that when Zhang Zhongjing returned to his hometown, he saw many wandering people shivering in the cold wind, and found that many people's ears had been frozen by the cold weather, so he resolutely resigned from his official position and researched a recipe for those who suffered from the wind and cold to resist the cold.
2.Shabu mutton.
Xuzhou, Henan, Huaibei area to winter, in addition to eating a bowl of dumplings, is indispensable to drink mutton soup shabu, Xuzhou every summer is a special sheep festival. It is said that the mutton shabu was made in honor of Kublai Khan, the founding emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.
Legend has it that one day Kublai Khan wanted to eat stewed mutton. Suddenly, the soldier reported that the enemy was coming, and in a hurry, the cook cut the lamb into thin slices, put it in the soup with ingredients, and served it. After the triumph, Kublai Khan rang out the mutton he had eaten before the war and asked the chef to cook it for the generals, and everyone was full of praise. Kublai Khan said that since this mutton is cooked in boiling water, it should be called "shabu mutton".
3.Glutinous rice balls. 
Tangyuan, also known as "soup ball" and "floating yuanzi", is one of the representatives of traditional snacks of the Han nationality. Not only on the day of the winter solstice, many places in the south have to eat tangyuan, but also the traditional Chinese festival Lantern Festival is the most distinctive food. According to legend, the glutinous rice balls are mainly to commemorate the great writer Dongfang Shuo of the Han Dynasty.
Legend has it that during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a palace maid named Lantern Festival in the palace, and the Lantern Festival girl missed her relatives. Dongfang Shuo managed to get Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to order that firecrackers be set off on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to enjoy the lanterns and cook rice balls. People go to the street to enjoy the lanterns and play, and the Lantern Festival girl meets her relatives. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty thought that the rice balls were made by the Lantern Festival girl, so he changed the name of the rice balls to the Lantern Festival.
4.Zongzi. 
Zongzi is one of the traditional Chinese festival foods. As one of the traditional foods with the deepest historical and cultural accumulation in China, zongzi has spread far and wide. The custom of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival has been prevalent in China for thousands of years, and has even spread to East Asian countries.
As we all know, zongzi is to commemorate the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is actually surnamed Mi, and Qu is his name. Qu Yuan was a nobleman of the Chu State and a descendant of Qu Bian, the son of Xiong Tong, the king of Chu Wu. After Yingcheng, the capital of Chu, was breached by the Qin army, Qu Yuan jumped into the Miluo River with grief and indignation. After people heard the news, in order to prevent the fish and shrimp in the river from biting Qu Yuan's body, they threw the rice balls wrapped in zongzi leaves into the river, and later there was the custom of eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival.
5.Laba porridge.
As the saying goes, after Laba is the New Year, many places have the custom of drinking Laba porridge on this day, Laba porridge is a traditional Chinese snack, its origin can be traced back to ancient sacrificial activities. Laba porridge was originally made to commemorate the birth of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni was one of the founders of Buddhism, and his birth was known as the "Laba Festival".
Laba porridge is a type of porridge made from a variety of grains and legumes, representing a good harvest and good fortune. As a result, Laba congee is regarded as an auspicious food in many parts of China and is often used in rituals and celebrations.
6.Mooncakes. 
Mid-Autumn Festival, moon reunion, eating moon cakes and enjoying the full moon has always been our traditional custom. Moon cakes, also known as moon cakes, harvest cakes, reunion cakes, etc., are one of the traditional delicacies of the Han nationality in China.
Mooncakes were originally used as offerings to the moon god. Mooncakes were originally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival to commemorate Chang'e. Chang'e is the wife of the hero Hou Yi who shoots the sun, according to legend, Hou Yi shot the sun and got an immortal medicine, was coveted by Fengmeng, he apprenticed to Hou Yi and took the opportunity to coerce Chang'e to hand over the immortal medicine, Chang'e refused to swallow the elixir and flew to the moon, people put incense and food to commemorate Chang'e, and the custom of eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival also spread.
7.Steamed bread. 
Steamed buns, known as "mantou" in ancient times, also known as "steamed buns", "steamed buns", are the original name of "buns", one of the traditional Chinese pasta, especially in the north is one of the daily staple foods.
It is said that steamed bread was first invented by Zhuge Liang. Before Zhuge Liang went out to the north to attack Cao Wei, he led his troops to attack the Southern Barbarians, and captured the barbarian general Meng Shu seven times, so that Meng Shu finally surrendered. When Zhuge Liang's class returned to the dynasty, he had to pass through Lushui on the way, and when the army was preparing to cross the river, the wind suddenly blew fiercely, the waves hit a thousand feet, the ghosts cried wolves, and the army could not cross the river. The local people said: It is said that the two armies are fighting, and the fallen soldiers cannot return to their hometowns to reunite with their families, so they make waves on this river and obstruct the return of the soldiers. If the army wants to cross the river, it must sacrifice the river with 49 heads of the barbarian army to calm the waves.
Zhuge Liang thought to himself: It is inevitable that the two armies will be killed and wounded in battle, how can they kill another 49 lives? Thinking of this, he came up with a plan, and immediately ordered the cook to make noodles and make 49 human heads. Then set up an incense case and sprinkle wine to the river. It is also called "brute head", and in this way the steamed bun was born.
8.Fritters. 
Fritters, also known as: steamed buns, fried ghosts, fried buns, semi-burnt steamed buns, etc., is an ancient noodle dish, according to the history of the Song Dynasty, fried dough sticks were invented to commemorate Yue Fei. Legend has it that fried dough sticks were produced in the Southern Song Dynasty, and their birth was related to the Song people's hatred of a traitorous minister. Qin Hui, the lord and prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, killed Yue Fei, a famous anti-gold general, on a "trumped-up" charge, and the Song people expressed their righteous indignation at this in a special cooking way: they were kneaded into the shape of Qin Hui with noodles and fried in boiling oil to relieve hatred, so the fritters are also called "fried juniper".
9.Pancake. 
In addition to the fritters, it is said that the roast cake was invented in honor of Yue Fei, the hero of the anti-gold resistance. Legend has it that the anti-gold hero Yue Fei was trapped near Zhuxian Town, and the soldiers in order to commemorate him, according to the practice of Yue Fei's favorite baked cakes during his lifetime, coupled with people's admiration for the hero, invented the baked cakes we eat now.
10.Ravioli.
Some places also eat wontons during the winter solstice, and it is said that the wontons are in honor of Pangu. Because Pangu is the common ancestor of mankind, who gave birth to Pangu? It is the chaotic unopened universe, it is the mother of the first human ancestors, "wonton" originally meant "chaos", and later because it was food, it was changed to wonton, because the winter solstice is the day when yang energy begins to rise, and a new life cycle begins, so people eat wontons to commemorate the common mother of mankind and welcome a new life cycle.
Chinese food is broad and profound, and there may be a story behind many delicacies, and you know the story behind the delicacies, please leave a message in the comment area.