<p>It's nothing to do with 麦 (grains).</p>

<p>From <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%87%92%E8%B3%A3">wikipedia</a>,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>烧卖，又称稍麦、烧麦、捎卖、稍美、干蒸、烧梅、肖米、鬼蓬头。</p>
  
  <p>烧卖及其他与之谐音的名称的来由有多种说法，没有定论。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's explained a little in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shumai">English version</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The name was given "捎卖", meaning the product was "sold as a sideline", with tea.</p>
  
  <p>The name was later transformed into modern forms like "烧麦", "稍美" and "烧卖", changing the characters while keeping the original pronunciation.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-06T12:05:42.753Z
Ah, thank you.  That would explain why it's the odd one out.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-06T11:29:28.890Z
2017-02-06T11:29:28.890Z
hinen
<p>This is 烧麦 (shāomài):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7q1Svm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7q1Svm.jpg" alt="Shaomai; Image source: Wikimedia commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pork_and_glutinous_rice_shaomai_by_jslander_at_Din_Tai_Fung,_Arcadia.jpg"></a></p>

<p>Which has the same character 麦 as in:</p>

<ul>
<li>大麦 (dàmài = barley),</li>
<li>小麦 (xiǎomài = wheat), and</li>
<li>燕麦 (yànmài = oats).</li>
</ul>

<p>These are types of grains, and seem unrelated to 烧麦.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: How does 麦 connect 烧麦 (shāomài), a kind of dumpling, with 大麦 (dàmài), 小麦 (xiǎomài), and 燕麦 (yànmài), types of grains?</p>

<food>
How does 麦 connect 烧麦 (shāomài), a kind of dumpling, with 大麦 (dàmài), 小麦 (xiǎomài), and 燕麦 (yànmài), which are types of grains?
# How does 麦 connect 烧麦 (shāomài), a kind of dumpling, with 大麦 (dàmài), 小麦 (xiǎomài), and 燕麦 (yànmài), which are types of grains?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-06)

This is 烧麦 (shāomài):

[![Shaomai; Image source: Wikimedia commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pork_and_glutinous_rice_shaomai_by_jslander_at_Din_Tai_Fung,_Arcadia.jpg](https://i.sstatic.net/7q1Svm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/7q1Svm.jpg)

Which has the same character 麦 as in:

* 大麦 (dàmài = barley),
* 小麦 (xiǎomài = wheat), and
* 燕麦 (yànmài = oats).

These are types of grains, and seem unrelated to 烧麦.

**Question**: How does 麦 connect 烧麦 (shāomài), a kind of dumpling, with 大麦 (dàmài), 小麦 (xiǎomài), and 燕麦 (yànmài), types of grains?

**Tags:** food

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-02-06. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

It's nothing to do with 麦 (grains).

From [wikipedia](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%87%92%E8%B3%A3),

> 烧卖，又称稍麦、烧麦、捎卖、稍美、干蒸、烧梅、肖米、鬼蓬头。
>
> 烧卖及其他与之谐音的名称的来由有多种说法，没有定论。

It's explained a little in the [English version](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shumai).

> The name was given "捎卖", meaning the product was "sold as a sideline", with tea.
>
> The name was later transformed into modern forms like "烧麦", "稍美" and "烧卖", changing the characters while keeping the original pronunciation.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ah, thank you.  That would explain why it's the odd one out.  

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