To begin with, the humble shaomai or siewmai as some may call it is not entirely Chinese. Since the majority of Chinese folks do not eat meat often or for that matter were peasants who were ill placed to afford meat, the origin of this humble Dim Sum accompaniment can only come from the Mongolians, who were documented as having invented this dish. Goat meat was used instead of pork and as meat eaters, they would have had access to wild garlic, chives and onions. Wild garlic originated from Central Asia and can be found growing wild in Mongolia. Since its invention, the Chinese have adopted this humble snack within their own culinary interpretations. China is a big country and as such, different versions of it containing pork and vegetables are found all over. The Cantonese may have misappropriated it by including this dish within the Dim Sum staple and the diaspora of the Chinese people further spread its popularity to regions where this dish has become a favorite of sorts for snacking or as a meal on its own. |