Bamboo steamers, called ''zhēnglóng'' () in Chinese,it originated in

Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

． The most famous kind of bamboo steamers are used in

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many ot ...

and date back to 5,000 years in

Southern China South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...

. They are produced by removing the skin from the bamboo, soaking it in water, shaping it into a circle, and hammering it in with nails. The base is made up of woven

bamboo strips Bamboo and wooden slips () were the main media for writing documents in China before the widespread introduction of paper during the first two centuries AD. (Silk was occasionally used, for example in the Chu Silk Manuscript, but was prohibiti ...

, and production can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours depending on its size. Bamboo steamers have become prominent to the

Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to the various nations and state (polity), states in the regions of Europe, North America, and Oceania.

for its role in cooking and serving

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

, particularly during the practice of ''

yum cha ''Yum cha'' is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and '' dim sum.'' The practice is popular in Cantonese-speaking regions, including Guangdong province, Guangxi province, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is also carried out in other ...

''. They are designed to be stacked on top of each other so that the steam can cook many different servings simultaneously, as well as fit on the table (often on a

Lazy Susan A Lazy Susan is a turntable (rotating tray) placed on a table or countertop to aid in distributing food. Lazy Susans may be made from a variety of materials but are usually glass, wood, or plastic. They are circular and placed in the centre of a ...

) while being served. In recent years, alternatives to the traditional bamboo material have been developed, including

silicone A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...

.{{cite news , last1=Chan , first1=Candy , title=Humble bamboo basket takes a cha siu bow , url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1339909/humble-bamboo-basket-takes-cha-siu-bow , accessdate=21 January 2020 , work=South China Morning Post , publisher=Alibaba Group , date=26 October 2013 , ref=SiliconTrend

History

There is a saying about the origin of steamers in china, In the period of emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, General

Han Xin Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ear ...

used bamboo and wood to make cooking utensils and steam to cook food, so as to avoid exposure of cooking smoke to the barracks. Cooking dry food is easier to preserve, which is the origin of bamboo steamer. In fact, archaeology has proved that people used bamboo to make various utensils as early as ancient times, and steaming was the earliest recorded cooking method in the

Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

. Ancient steamers are made of pottery and bronze. The ancient kitchen mural in the tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty at

Dahuting The Dahuting Han tombs are Eastern Han dynasty (1st century AD) tombs of Zhang Boya and his wife, in modern Xinmi, Henan Province. They are famous for their well preserved murals and stone carvings. Discovery and history In December 1959, constr ...

No.1 in Mi County,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

Province, is the earliest evidence of the origin of modern steamers.

Gallery

File:Bamboo steamer-top cover PNr°0731.jpg, The top cover of a bamboo steamer File:Bamboo steamer-top inlay PNr°0730.jpg, Bamboo grid of a ''level'' File:Mushiki.Steamer.jpg, Stacked ''mushiki'' on top of a pot File:Dimsum mentai final loook!!.jpg,

Dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

served in bamboo steamers

History

Gallery

References

See also