Do you know the origin of Mantou (Man 2 Tou)?

Do you know the origin of Mantou (Man 2 Tou)?
Jun 18, 2008 22:57
CHERRY07 Points: Join Date: Mar 23, 2008 Status: offline	Mantou is the main staple of the Northern people in China. In English, it is called the "steamed bun". Did you eat Mantou before? Have you ever heard about the origin of Mantou? Origin: During the Three Kingdoms Period, Shu was frequently attacked by King Menghuo and his countrymen in the south. Thus, Zhuge Liang led the Grand Army of Shu to defend his country. When they arrived at River Lu, they found that there were few people and that the river was poisonous. In order to cross the river safely, one man gave a piece of advice to Zhuge Liang---to kill some captives and sacrifice their heads to the God of River Lu. But Zhuge Liang didn't take his suggestion. Instead, he asked the soldiers to use flour to make doughs. Then they steamed those doughs and sacrificed them to the God of River Lu instead of the captives' heads. Latter on, those human-head like buns had spread to the North part of China. However, it was horrible to call it 蛮头 (Man 2 Tou). Thus, people renamed it as 馒头 (Man 2 Tou). Note: In ancient China, Han people call those minorities as 蛮夷. Since Menghuo and his countrymen belonged to a minority in the south, it was no surprise that they were called 蛮人.

Jun 18, 2008 22:57

CHERRY07
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Join Date: Mar 23, 2008
Status: offline

Mantou is the main staple of the Northern people in China. In English, it is called the "steamed bun". Did you eat Mantou before? Have you ever heard about the origin of Mantou?

Origin: During the Three Kingdoms Period, Shu was frequently attacked by King Menghuo and his countrymen in the south. Thus, Zhuge Liang led the Grand Army of Shu to defend his country. When they arrived at River Lu, they found that there were few people and that the river was poisonous. In order to cross the river safely, one man gave a piece of advice to Zhuge Liang---to kill some captives and sacrifice their heads to the God of River Lu. But Zhuge Liang didn't take his suggestion. Instead, he asked the soldiers to use flour to make doughs. Then they steamed those doughs and sacrificed them to the God of River Lu instead of the captives' heads. Latter on, those human-head like buns had spread to the North part of China.

However, it was horrible to call it 蛮头 (Man 2 Tou). Thus, people renamed it as 馒头 (Man 2 Tou).

Note: In ancient China, Han people call those minorities as 蛮夷. Since Menghuo and his countrymen belonged to a minority in the south, it was no surprise that they were called 蛮人.

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