ESL Lesson | B2 | Culinary history: the global journey of dumplings

Summary

This ESL lesson for B2 English students explores the fascinating history and global spread of dumplings. Using a captivating video, interactive exercises, and engaging discussions, students will delve into the culinary journey of this beloved dish.

The lesson enhances listening comprehension, expands vocabulary related to food history and cultural exchange, and solidifies understanding of the Past Simple Passive through practical application. Activities are designed to foster meaningful conversations about food culture, history, and global influences.

Access lesson

Activities

A warm-up discussion where students share knowledge of traditional dishes and their historical origins, setting the context for the lesson.
Video comprehension and a listening exercise to fill in gaps with key vocabulary from a video about the history of dumplings.
A vocabulary matching task to connect terms like "pored over," "relics," and "disseminate" with their definitions.
A grammar exercise focused on the Past Simple Passive to discuss historical events where the agent is unknown or less important.
A practical vocabulary application task where students create enticing menu descriptions for dumpling dishes using target words.
Speaking practice through discussion questions, encouraging students to apply new vocabulary and grammar to express their thoughts on global food history and cultural adaptation.

00:07 As archaeologists pored over ancient tombs in Turfan in western China,

00:12 they discovered some surprisingly well-preserved and familiar relics.

00:17 Though hardened from over 1,000 years,

00:19 there sat little crescent-shaped dumplings.

00:22 Exactly who invented dumplings remains a mystery.

00:25 But some scholars suspect they were first spread

00:27 around parts the ancient world by nomadic Turkic peoples

00:30 living in western China and Central Asia.

00:33 This is thought to be the case because “manti,”

00:36 meaning “dumpling” or “steamed bun” in many Turkic languages,

00:39 appears to be the root word for dumpling in several other languages.

00:44 Ancient Turkic people probably stuffed their dumplings with meat.

00:47 But it’s unclear when this practice began,

00:50 or whether they learned the art of dumpling-making from others.

00:53 However this happened, dumplings certainly gathered steam in ancient China.

00:58 That’s where they first appear in the written record:

01:01 more than 1,700 years ago,

01:03 in a mouthwatering rhapsody by scholar Shu Xi.

01:07 In his poem, Shu alludes to certain cooking methods coming from alien lands.

01:12 He describes a steamed wheat product as “mantou.”

01:16 And he reverentially chronicles the preparation of kneaded dough balls

01:20 called “lao wan.”

01:22 They’re packed with pork, mutton and aromatics,

01:25 dipped in black meat sauce, then quickly gobbled up,

01:28 leaving people downwind to drool and fantasy-feast.

01:32 Dumplings continued to take off and diversify in China

01:35 over the next thousand years.

01:37 Instead of the traditional meat filling,

01:39 some communities opted for vegetarian dumplings.

01:42 People developed new cooking methods.

01:44 And because wheat was harder to cultivate outside of northern China,

01:48 those in other regions began making dumplings

01:50 using rice, tapioca, and sweet potato.

01:52 The relationship between Chinese dumplings and those in other areas

01:56 is tricky to trace,

01:58 but food historians have made their best guesses based on available clues.

02:02 Turkic tribes spread and eventually established

02:05 the Ottoman Empire around 1300 CE,

02:08 bringing wrapped morsels west with them.

02:12 In what’s now Turkey, most people wouldn’t have stuffed dumplings with pork

02:16 due to Islamic restrictions.

02:18 Instead, manti would come to be filled with ingredients like lamb,

02:22 drizzled with garlic, yogurt, and melted butter,

02:24 then topped with herbs and spices.

02:27 Some scholars believe that the Mongol Empire also helped disseminate dumplings,

02:31 perhaps introducing them to parts of Eastern Europe.

02:34 These dumplings could have come by way of China

02:36 or directly from some of the Turkic peoples the Mongols hired

02:40 to run their empire.

02:41 One theory is that this gave rise to dumplings like Russian pelmeni,

02:45 and the larger pierogi and vareniki, eaten in Poland and Ukraine,

02:49 stuffed with things like potato, cabbage, cheese, and cherries.

02:52 The Mongol Empire also controlled Korea

02:55 and might have likewise introduced dumplings there,

02:57 where “mandu” may be eaten with regional ingredients like kimchi.

03:02 Later, after Chinese dumpling varieties were introduced to more countries,

03:06 English speakers began calling them dumplings.

03:09 The term means “little lumps”

03:11 and is thought to have been first used in 16th century England

03:14 to describe dough balls dropped in liquid.

03:17 Like knödel and matzo balls, they would’ve had no filling.

03:21 So, the word was actually confusingly imprecise,

03:23 but it stuck, nonetheless.

03:26 When Japan occupied China during the Second World War,

03:29 Chinese “jiaozi” were brought to Japan,

03:32 where they in turn became known as “gyoza” and were more typically pan-fried.

03:38 So what about the fact that every region in Italy has its own variety

03:42 of dumpling-like stuffed pasta?

03:44 Some historians think that Arab conquerors brought dumplings

03:48 when they reigned over Sicily between the 9th and 11th centuries.

03:52 But the jury's still out.

03:55 It’s unlikely that all dumpling-esque dishes came from the same root tradition.

04:00 In many cases, it may simply be that culinary visionaries

04:03 from different cultures shared a similar revelation:

04:07 that cooking fillings encased in dough would be delightful.

04:11 Either way, we can appreciate these plump pockets of perfection—

04:15 and the tangled, mysterious historical web

04:18 that’s made dumplings so diverse and divine.

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Vocabulary focus

This lesson introduces B2 students to key terms related to culinary history and cultural exchange. Key vocabulary includes phrases like "pored over" (to examine intensely), "remains a mystery" (still unknown), "gathered steam" (gained momentum), "tricky to trace" (difficult to follow the path of), "dough balls" (a basic ingredient form), "relics" (surviving old objects or customs), "nomadic" (moving from place to place), "disseminate" (to spread widely), "alludes to" (to refer indirectly), and "imprecise" (not exact). Students will learn to apply these words in discussions about the global journey of food.

Grammar focus

The grammar focus for this lesson is the Past Simple Passive. This structure (was/were + past participle) is essential for discussing historical events and origins where the agent (who performed the action) is either unknown, less important, or easily understood from the context. For example, "Ancient dumplings were found in tombs" or "Dumplings were spread by nomadic peoples." Students will practice identifying and forming passive sentences to describe the historical development and spread of culinary traditions.

Culinary history: The global journey of dumplings

Summary

Activities

Vocabulary focus

Grammar focus

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