A cura di @Ospizio (modificato).

In una recente discussione su hookii ci si era posti la domanda se i khinkali georgiani siano imparentati con gli xialongbao cinesi, dato che entrambe le versioni prevedono ravioli ripieni di carne e la presenza di brodo.

Stando a un articolo apparso su The Kitchn, gli xialongbao come li conosciamo oggi sarebbero nati nel 1875 nei sobborghi di Shanghai, mentre i ravioli, in tutte le forme e varietà, avrebbero come comune denominatore le invasioni dei mongoli, che portarono con sé un’invenzione in origine cinese. Infatti, anche i ravioli delle tradizioni italiane hanno la stessa origine asiatica:

As the legend says, the first dumpling in the world, Jiao zi, was invented in ancient China by famous Chinese doctor – Zhang Zhongjing to save people from frostbite. It was made with all kinds of fillings such as mutton, hot pepper and some medicinal materials and really helped poor people to keep warm in cold winter.[…]

Many years later Mongols learned how to make dumplings from Chinese people and found out that they were very convenient for travel. So dumplings became inseparable victuals for Mongolian warriors. […]

Since then Jiao zi has turned into: Pelmeni in Russia, Vareniki in Ukraine, Piorogi in Poland and Ravioli in Italy, Kreplachi in Israel, Khingal in Azerbaijan, Khinkali in Georgia and etc…The ingredients of all of these dishes are almost the same, but they are still tremendously different from one another. Maybe because that each country has given to them it’s own “soul” and magic.

Immagine da Flickr.