According to the lore, the dish of mantou originated in the historical fact that a flood subsided after a kneaded flour dough stuffed with mutton and pork, which imitated a human head was thrown into a river in order to change the custom of sinking a human head into a river for human sacrifice to stop floods when Zhuge LIANG, the prime minister of Shu in the Sanguo Zhi (History of the Three Kingdoms) was on his way back from southern expedition to attack Meng HUO in the third century.
饅頭（まんとう）は伝承によれば、3世紀の三国志の蜀の宰相・諸葛亮が孟獲との南征の帰途、川の氾濫を沈めるために川の神へと人身御供を立てて、人の首を川に沈めるという風習を改めさせようと小麦粉で練った皮に羊・豚の肉を詰めそれを人間の頭に見立てて川に投げ込んだところ川の氾濫が静まった故事からこの料理が始まったという説がある。