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Eating dumplings

吃饺子

A legend has it that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing saved many people in Henan province from a typhoid epidemic and their ears' from being frostbitten around Start of Winter.

传说在东汉末年（公元25-220年），“医圣”张仲景在河南治好了很多伤寒病人，还让他们的耳朵在立冬之际免于生冻疮。

He cooked mutton, hot peppers and herbs to dispel the cold and increase body heat. He wrapped these ingredients into a dough skin and made them into an ear shape. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as "dumpling". Today there is still a saying that goes "Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten".

张仲景的方法是用羊肉、辣椒和驱寒暖身的药草一起炖煮，煮熟后用面皮包成耳朵形状。从那以后，人们学会了制作这种食物，也就是后来俗称的“饺子”。时至今日仍然有“立冬不端饺子碗，冻掉耳朵没人管”的说法。