Who invented dumplings and dumplings, to the death of diets? Is it possible to enjoy delicious dumplings without harming your health? How do dumplings differ from dumplings and other similar dishes? MedAboutMe shares dumpling secrets.
The mystery of the origin of dumplings has been repeatedly discussed in the culinary community. If you look at the interesting research scientists have conducted to trace the history of the creation and distribution of dumplings, you can even forget about the delicious dumpling cooling on your fork, it’s all so fascinating.
What did the researchers come to?
Of course, it will not be possible to find the specific person who was the first to come up with the idea of wrapping the filling in dough; it was too long ago. But it can be said with a high degree of certainty that the author of the first dumplings was Chinese. Most likely, it was from China that this culinary idea spread throughout the world, undergoing various kinds of transformations along the way.
Interesting!
Some researchers believe that dumplings could be used in sacrifices to the gods. The meat-filled dumpling symbolized domestic animals, which were more expensive to sacrifice. But this hypothesis is not supported by all scientists. Some believe that there is not enough evidence that dumplings fulfill a sacred role: they are simply a tasty and convenient food product. However, many families still have a tradition of a kind of “dumpling fortune-telling”: when cooking, some dumplings are filled with a special filling. Anyone who comes across a “lucky” dumpling can expect sudden luck. For example, if you come across a dumpling with a coin, it promises wealth, with poppy seeds - fertility and abundance, with berries - a sweet life, etc. Although the idea of a coin in a dumpling looks very dubious: not only does it violate all sanitary standards, it also You can also break a tooth. So it’s better to guess some other way, if it’s completely impossible without fortune telling.
Dumplings came to Russia from the Far East, and took root very well in Siberia and the Urals. Dumplings were made in thousands of pieces, by the whole family, and then frozen and stored in bags all winter. Fortunately, you didn’t have to look for frost - take the tray with the finished dumplings out into the hallway, and after a few hours you can pour the tightly frozen product into a bag.
Why did Siberians like dumplings so much?
Yes to everyone. In the fall, at a satisfying time after harvesting, slaughtering livestock, and harvesting game and fish that had been fattened over the summer, it was possible to prepare tasty, satisfying and easy-to-cook food for the whole winter. The making of dumplings was put on stream - just like the collection and preparation of mushrooms and berries. But in winter it was possible not only to quickly feed the whole family at home, but also to provide high-calorie food for hunters. All you need to make dumplings is fire, a pot and water/snow.
Interestingly, until the 19th century, dumplings were little known outside the Urals and Siberia. In the middle zone, however, similar products were made from dough and meat, but they were called differently: ears, for example. True, the dumplings were also called a little unusual for our ears - pelnyani. The roots of this name are Finno-Ugric, and it means “bread ear”, “dough ear”. And only in the 19th century this dish spread throughout Rus' and acquired its familiar name.
Interesting!
To study the distribution of dumplings, scientists examined written documents of various kinds. The familiarity of the local population with dumplings is indicated, among other things, by the names associated with this dish: Pelmennikov, Pelmenev or related ones. In the Urals, this “dumpling trail” begins to appear at the end of the 17th century. This means that at that time there were already people there who were closely connected with the dumpling business. But until the mid-19th century, this dish was purely local, and in other regions of Russia, dumplings were exotic, they were called “Chinese pies” and were rarely prepared.
Both in the old days and now, dumplings are mainly boiled, sometimes fried and baked. The filling can be meat - from one type of meat or from a mixture of several, fish, mushroom, cabbage, etc. The dough is kneaded with water, eggs and flour. Lenten dough is prepared without adding eggs.
Interesting!
There is a cooking method that allows you to get fried dumplings with broth inside. To do this, you first need to lightly fry the dumplings in a deep frying pan, then add boiling water to the pan, cover with a lid and increase the heat to maximum. When the water boils, add again, and then repeat the same process 1-2 more times. The result will be crispy dumplings with a crispy crust and a delicious meat broth inside.
Dumplings: Turkish trace
Dumplings differ from dumplings in that the filling in them is always not raw, but ready-made. That is, during heat treatment of dumplings, only the dough is cooked. Even if dumplings are prepared with meat, the filling is filled with minced meat from previously cooked or fried meat.
Dumplings came from Turkey via Ukraine, where they became a favorite dish. In Turkey, this dish was called dush-var, or dushvara. Ukrainians began to call it in their own way - varaniki, and then dumplings, linking the name with the method of preparation - boiling. It’s logical - dumplings are cooked. Everything is correct.
The filling of dumplings can be boiled meat, mashed potatoes with or without mushrooms, stewed or sauerkraut, salted or sweet cottage cheese, feta cheese, wild or garden berries. Dumplings with cherries are especially popular among people. Sweet dumplings are served with sour cream, yogurt, butter, honey, and jam. For meat, potatoes, mushrooms - sour cream, fried onions, mayonnaise, garlic sauce.
Interesting!
In ancient times, Russia had its own version, close to dumplings: kundyumy. Kundums differ from dumplings in that they do not put meat into the filling, but rather knead the dough in oil and hot water. It is believed that kundums were invented by monks to brighten up their Lenten diet with a tasty dish. The filling consists of millet or buckwheat porridge with the addition of mushrooms. The kundums are first lightly baked in the oven and then cooked in mushroom broth.
Are you my brother or not? About the “relatives” of dumplings
The idea of wrapping the filling in dough followed by heat treatment was so successful that similar dishes appeared among most nations. Of course, there are differences in the shape of the products, in the filling, and in the method of preparation and serving.
The most famous “brothers” of dumplings:
Georgian khinkali. The filling includes lamb, beef, and game. The shape of khinkali resembles a head of garlic with a “tail” on top. They are taken by this “tail” with their hands to bite them carefully and drink the aromatic juice with pleasure, and then eat the filling. The “tail” itself is thrown away. Khinkali differ from dumplings not only in shape, but also in the fact that eggs are not added to the dough. Minced meat is ideally chopped with a knife, rather than minced through a meat grinder. Manta rays. This is the favorite dish of the peoples of Central Asia, second only to pilaf in popularity. Manti is steamed; the filling usually consists of several types of meat, except pork, since pork is forbidden for Muslims. But horse meat and camel meat are in use, which seems completely exotic to us. Authentic manti always includes a piece of fat tail fat or camel hump. And for juiciness they add pumpkin. They eat manti with their hands. Ravioli and tortellini. The idea of filling dough came to Italy along with goods along the Silk Road in the late 13th century. The Italians came up with their own versions: square or triangular ravioli and tortellini, closer in shape to dumplings. Literally anything can go into the filling: cheese, vegetables, herbs, meat, seafood, etc. Italian varieties of dumplings are distinguished by their small size and the fact that local chefs classify them as pasta. Wontons. These Chinese dumplings are steamed, boiled, and often served with broth as a soup. The filling includes pork, cabbage, mushrooms and even bamboo stalks, as well as a large amount of spices. Wonton soup is a traditional New Year's dish. Gyoza. Japanese variety of Chinese dish. The Japanese prefer to fry their elongated gyoza, and add meat, cabbage, vegetables, seafood and even fruit to the filling. Gyurza. This is not a snake, but the Azerbaijani “brothers” of dumplings stuffed with lamb and beef. Azerbaijanis have another type of dumplings - dushbara. These small lamb dumplings are served with broth. Kreplach. Jewish kreplach differ from Siberian dumplings in a few ways: the absence of pork in the minced meat and its shape. Kreplach can be triangular, square, etc. The dish is prepared on holidays using chicken broth, and is often served along with it. And they don’t serve sour cream with kreplach. Maultaschen. Large German dumplings bear a geographical name protected by the European Union. This means that they can only be prepared from products produced/grown in Swabia. Otherwise, they will be considered a counterfeit product, just like that. In fact, there is nothing special about the maultaschen, except for the large amount of spinach in the filling. In this way, German monks tried to circumvent the prohibitions of fasting: to disguise the meat with spinach. It’s not for nothing that the name translates as “deceive God.” Our monks came up with kundums, but the Swabian ones preferred to cheat pettyly: they decided that under the dough shell and mixed with herbs, the Almighty would not notice the meat. Podkogylyo. Behind this amazing word lies a dish of Mari cuisine: either dumplings or dumplings. The meat filling in the podkogyl is placed raw, and it is made from pork or game: hare or badger meat, with the addition of onions. But podkogylyo is not necessarily made from meat, and then they become similar to dumplings. Because the filling includes boiled potatoes, cottage cheese or porridge, pearl barley or millet. Poses or bouzas. Most of all, the poses are similar to manti, and they are prepared in Buryatia and Mongolia. They differ from manti in that milk is added to the meat filling for juiciness. Everything else is the same: steamed, eaten with your hands. Dumplings and diet
Well, how can you not love dumplings with such a variety of them? I just want to go and immediately cook myself a portion, with sour cream and butter... But won’t such gluttony add completely unwanted fat to the sides?
It all depends on a sense of proportion. The fact is that dumplings themselves are moderate in calories. For example, 100 g of beef dumplings contains only about 180 calories, pork dumplings - about 270, cabbage dumplings - 90-100 calories. But this is if they are consumed without any additives or sauces and only boiled. If you flavor a portion with sour cream or butter, the calorie content will increase, and if you fry the dumplings, the calorie content will increase by 2-3 times, if not more.
In addition, few people limit themselves to a small portion of 100 g. It’s delicious.
Therefore, you can’t count on the dumpling diet to help you lose weight. And don’t laugh - there is such a diet too. True, nutritionists are skeptical about it and call it “a hopeless attempt at self-deception.”
What now, give up the delicious dish completely? No, you don't have to do this. It is enough to limit the consumption of dumplings to 1-2 times a week, and eat them in the first half of the day. This applies to those food lovers who do not complain about their health. Because dumplings have contraindications.
Dumplings are lower in calories. Of course, if you don’t eat it the way the famous Gogol character did it - flavored with rich sour cream. In 100 g of dumplings with cherries there are only 100 calories, dumplings with cottage cheese are more filling - 155 calories, with potatoes and mushrooms - 180 calories. That is, unless you serve them with fried onions and butter. We are not considering lazy dumplings because they are closer to dumplings than dumplings.
Diseases for which dumplings should not be eaten
Dumplings are a rather heavy food; dumplings are a little easier to digest, but they also cannot be considered a truly dietary dish.
Dumplings should be avoided if you have the following diseases:
Well, reality dictates its conditions. But no one will stop you from choosing the best from the offered assortment.
As a rule, good dumplings are not too cheap. Pay attention to the composition of the product: if “vegetable protein” is indicated in the list, soy is usually hidden behind this phrase. If it is more than 40%, then you can’t count on delicious dumplings. It is also worth considering your own tastes: some types of dumplings add garlic or especially a lot of onions, which not everyone likes. The dumplings in the pack should be scattered. If they stick together into one lump, this indicates that the product was defrosted, that is, the rules for its storage were not followed. In addition to deteriorating taste, such a violation can lead to spoilage of dumplings.
Roskontrol has repeatedly tested the most popular brands of dumplings. And many of the tested samples were blacklisted. But there are also quite high-quality products. For example, most varieties of dumplings “Siberian Collection” did not cause any complaints either in composition, taste, or other important indicators. At the time of testing, dumplings “Ot Palych”, “Okraina”, “Papa Mozhno”, “Caesar” also showed good results.
Homemade dumplings and dumplings will always be better than store-bought ones. The industry is interested in reducing costs - it is clear that not only the best meat is used in the filling, but also everything that can reduce the cost of the process. It's the same story in restaurants. More onions can be added to the minced meat than required in the recipe; some of the meat can be replaced with potatoes or semolina. The dumplings offered in the culinary departments may also use something that is not exactly what the buyer would like to receive: mashed potatoes that were not sold in a timely manner, not quite fresh cottage cheese, etc.
Therefore, if you want truly delicious dumplings or dumplings, make them yourself.
Here are a few secrets:
For the dough, choose flour with a high gluten content. The dough prepared with yolks is more plastic, and in addition has a beautiful yellowish color. The dough should be allowed to stand for a while under the lid, and then knead it a little more before cutting. Cold mineral water or crushed ice is added to the minced meat for juiciness. If you add a little feta cheese to the curd filling for dumplings, the dumplings will acquire a special taste and aroma. And you can add raisins and other dried fruits to the sweet curd filling: children especially like these dumplings. Vinegar is served with dumplings for a reason: it helps in the absorption of the product. But sour cream and butter can make the dish more “heavier”. Take the testAre you eating right? What is your diet and how healthy is your meal plan? Take the test and find out what mistakes you should take note of.
Well, bachelors, this post is for you! Read on for the most interesting facts you need to know about dumplings. By the way, who thinks about dumplings? Tell us!))
Initially, the name of this dish consisted of two Udmurt words - “ear” (pel) and “bread” (nyan). The piece of meat wrapped in dough actually resembled a human ear. Well, “pel-nyan” eventually turned into dumplings.
Europeans call dumplings their invention from the Middle Ages, the Chinese call them theirs. But the generally accepted, ideal dumplings are Siberian. Loved by the Udmurts, they were also liked by the Komi-Permyak peoples and Russian Siberians. Well, around the 14th century, the spread of delicious food throughout Russia began. I liked the invention because meat could be stored in the cold for a long time before cooking and, when wrapped in dough, it repulsed the smell that attracted predators.
Dumplings had a ritual significance associated with the sacrifice of livestock to the gods. Therefore, classic Ural dumplings are a mixture of three minced meats: beef (450 g per 1 kg), lamb (350 g) and pork (200 g). To them are added very little pepper, finely chopped onions - in moderation, a little fresh cabbage, grated radish and finely chopped herbs. Due to vegetable additives, when cooked, the delicate filling does not turn into a monolithic hard lump that threatens to tear the dough shell.
The dough for dumplings is prepared with the addition of eggs, which allows you to roll it out into a fairly thin layer when cooking. The thinner it is, the tastier the dumplings. The strength of their shell does not decrease during cooking. It is interesting that at first the eggs of partridges, quails or bustards were added to the dough not from domestic chickens.
They believe that if a dumpling floats during cooking, it is cooked. This is not entirely true if you want to cook dumplings correctly. The fact is that they were made by Siberians by adding ice water to the filling before modeling, and after modeling they were exposed to the bitter Siberian frost. The water, freezing, guaranteed tenderness and juiciness of the meat during cooking. But - what a surprise! – during cooking, such an “icy” dumpling floated up twice!
There is a tradition: the last dumpling prepared for consumption is made with an unusual symbolic filling. Greens meant joy, pepper meant love, sugar meant a successful and carefree year, and a coin meant wealth. Well, if the dumpling turns out to have no filling at all, molded entirely from dough, be happy. By the way, if the owner served you dumplings not only in a large bowl, but also with a generous “heap,” it means that he is clearly disposed towards you and is friendly.
Chinese dumplings also have their own traditions, but their peculiarity is that in order to fulfill your wishes you need to eat a certain number of “bread ears”. I wanted double joy - if you please, two things, happiness brings 3, 6 and 9 dumplings, a rich and fruitful year - 4 or 5. Anyone who wanted the whole year to be successful, so that health did not fail and happiness did not change, had to eat ten for once.
The most expensive dumplings are made in the Golden Gates restaurant, located in the Bronx district of New York. If you want to try them, prepare some money: a portion of eight dumplings will cost $2,400 (!!!). Of course, if you are not scared off by the phosphorescent blue-green color of the dumplings in the dark. The reason is that the filling contains iron from the deep sea torch fish.
It would be strange if such a popular dish did not deserve a monument at least in its “historical homeland”. And for ten years now, a monument to dumplings has been standing in Izhevsk, like a magnet, attracting all tourists. Allegedly, this is the geographic point where the world's first dumplings were prepared.
According to the dream book, if you dream that you are making dumplings, it means that you lack family comfort. Of course, you can laugh good-naturedly at the dream book, but the tradition of making dumplings with the whole family is a good ritual of the family hearth. A number of experts in spiritual practices even call this process family meditation.
Well, bachelors, this post is for you! Read on for the most interesting facts you need to know about dumplings. By the way, who thinks about dumplings? Tell us!))
Initially, the name of this dish consisted of two Udmurt words - “ear” (pel) and “bread” (nyan). The piece of meat wrapped in dough actually resembled a human ear. Well, “pel-nyan” eventually turned into dumplings.
Europeans call dumplings their invention from the Middle Ages, the Chinese call them theirs. But the generally accepted, ideal dumplings are Siberian. Loved by the Udmurts, they were also liked by the Komi-Permyak peoples and Russian Siberians. Well, around the 14th century, the spread of delicious food throughout Russia began. I liked the invention because meat could be stored in the cold for a long time before cooking and, when wrapped in dough, it repulsed the smell that attracted predators.
Dumplings had a ritual significance associated with the sacrifice of livestock to the gods. Therefore, classic Ural dumplings are a mixture of three minced meats: beef (450 g per 1 kg), lamb (350 g) and pork (200 g). To them are added very little pepper, finely chopped onions - in moderation, a little fresh cabbage, grated radish and finely chopped herbs. Due to vegetable additives, when cooked, the delicate filling does not turn into a monolithic hard lump that threatens to tear the dough shell.
The dough for dumplings is prepared with the addition of eggs, which allows you to roll it out into a fairly thin layer when cooking. The thinner it is, the tastier the dumplings. The strength of their shell does not decrease during cooking. It is interesting that at first the eggs of partridges, quails or bustards were added to the dough not from domestic chickens.
They believe that if a dumpling floats during cooking, it is cooked. This is not entirely true if you want to cook dumplings correctly. The fact is that they were made by Siberians by adding ice water to the filling before modeling, and after modeling they were exposed to the bitter Siberian frost. The water, freezing, guaranteed tenderness and juiciness of the meat during cooking. But - what a surprise! – during cooking, such an “icy” dumpling floated up twice!
There is a tradition: the last dumpling prepared for consumption is made with an unusual symbolic filling. Greens meant joy, pepper meant love, sugar meant a successful and carefree year, and a coin meant wealth. Well, if the dumpling turns out to have no filling at all, molded entirely from dough, be happy. By the way, if the owner served you dumplings not only in a large bowl, but also with a generous “heap,” it means that he is clearly disposed towards you and is friendly.
Chinese dumplings also have their own traditions, but their peculiarity is that in order to fulfill your wishes you need to eat a certain number of “bread ears”. I wanted double joy - if you please, two things, happiness brings 3, 6 and 9 dumplings, a rich and fruitful year - 4 or 5. Anyone who wanted the whole year to be successful, so that health did not fail and happiness did not change, had to eat ten for once.
The most expensive dumplings are made in the Golden Gates restaurant, located in the Bronx district of New York. If you want to try them, prepare some money: a portion of eight dumplings will cost $2,400 (!!!). Of course, if you are not scared off by the phosphorescent blue-green color of the dumplings in the dark. The reason is that the filling contains iron from the deep sea torch fish.
It would be strange if such a popular dish did not deserve a monument at least in its “historical homeland”. And for ten years now, a monument to dumplings has been standing in Izhevsk, like a magnet, attracting all tourists. Allegedly, this is the geographic point where the world's first dumplings were prepared.
According to the dream book, if you dream that you are making dumplings, it means that you lack family comfort. Of course, you can laugh good-naturedly at the dream book, but the tradition of making dumplings with the whole family is a good ritual of the family hearth. A number of experts in spiritual practices even call this process family meditation.
Despite the fact that dumplings are considered an original Russian dish, they came to Russia thanks to the Finno-Ugric tribes - northern nomads. Initially, the name of this dish consisted of two Udmurt words - “ear” (pel) and “bread” (nyan). The piece of meat wrapped in dough actually resembled a human ear. Well, “pel-nyan” eventually turned into dumplings. From the Urals, dumplings migrated to Siberia, and from there, in the 14th century, their spread began in Russia, and then in Central Asia. For residents of Siberia, dumplings became an ideal dish - they were easy to cook, freeze and store in cold climates. It was enough to cook them and take them out into the Siberian frost, and they acquired the necessary shape; meat wrapped in dough did not attract predators with its smell. In 1879, a brochure entitled “Songs about dumplings” was published in Nizhny Novgorod, the epigraph of which was the following words: “I am ready to fall on my knees before the one who invented dumplings.” More than 20 stanzas are written in such a humorous form, which contain a declaration of the author’s love for this dish.
The first dumplings in ancient times were used for rituals when it was necessary to sacrifice livestock to the gods. That's why classic dumplings are a mandatory mixture of three minced meats: beef, pork and lamb.
Everyone knows the tradition of making “lucky dumplings”. It consists in putting some unusual filling into the last dumpling made: a coin, pepper, raw dough. The filling of a “happy dumpling” can be anything. A dumpling with herbs - for joy, with pepper - for love, a whole dough dumpling - for happiness, with sugar - for a successful, easy year, with a coin - accordingly for wealth. Another tradition associated with dumplings that has come down to us from Siberia is serving the dish in a large bowl. If you were lucky enough to visit a place where dumplings were served in a large bowl and with a “heap”, this indicates the host’s disposition and openness towards you.
Neighboring China has its own traditions associated with dumplings. Childless newlyweds put dumplings in their mouths, but did not eat them, and then placed them under the marriage bed for the further birth of healthy offspring. Another Chinese dumpling tradition involves numbers. A person who ate 2 dumplings will experience double joy, 3, 6, 9 dumplings will experience happiness, 4, 5 dumplings will mean a rich and fruitful year, and those who manage to eat 10 dumplings will experience good luck, happiness and health for the whole year.
In 2004, a monument to dumplings was opened in Izhevsk, which immediately became not just a calling card of this city, but also a favorite place for tourists and local residents!
In 2011, the largest dumpling was made in a restaurant in Bao Ding, Hebei Province (northern China). Its weight was 79 kg, length - 1.2 m, and width - 0.86 m.
Siberians made dumplings for the whole long winter, and after the modeling was completed, they were exposed to the bitter Siberian frost, where they could be stored for months. The water in the dumplings, freezing, guaranteed the tenderness and juiciness of the meat during cooking.
The most expensive dumplings can be ordered at the Golden Gates restaurant in the Bronx, New York. The main visitors of the establishment are Russian emigrants. A distinctive feature of the dish is that they contain veal, salmon or pork, but also the iron of torch fish, which lives at great depths. Thanks to this gland, dumplings emit a blue-green color. A serving of 8 dumplings costs $2,400 at the restaurant.
