A wonton () is a type of
Chinese dumpling commonly found across regional styles of
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 ...
. It is also spelled wantan or wuntun in
transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...
from
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
() and wenden from
Shanghainese
The Shanghainese language, also known as the Shanghai dialect, or Hu language, is a variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the Districts of Shanghai, central districts of the Shanghai, City of Shanghai and its surrounding areas. It is classified as ...
(). There are many different styles of wonton served throughout China, though most foreigners are only familiar with Cantonese wontons because of the predominance of Cantonese restaurants overseas.
Originating from China, wontons have also become popular in other East and Southeast Asian cuisines.
History
Yang Xiong from the western
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 ...
mentioned "bing wei zhi tun", which means wontons are a type of bread. The difference is that wontons have fillings inside and are eaten after being steamed or boiled.
Ancient Chinese thought wonton were a sealed bun, lacking "qi qiao" ('seven orifices'). So it was called "
hun dun" (混沌), which means 'turbidity' or 'chaos'. Based on the Chinese method of making characters, the
radicals
Radical may refer to:
Politics and ideology Politics
*Radical politics, the political intent of fundamental societal change
*Radicalism (historical), the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and ...
are changed from water to food, then it became "hun tun" (餛飩, wonton in Cantonese). At that time, wonton had no difference from dumplings.
For hundreds of years, dumplings had not changed, but wontons became popular in the southern part of China and developed a distinct style. From the time of the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, people began to differentiate the names of dumplings (
jiaozi) and wontons.
Differences from jiaozi
Wontons resemble
jiaozi (餃子) dumplings but usually have less filling and are wrapped in a thin 6 x 6cm
2 yellow square dough wrapper or an
isosceles trapezoid and folded into a triangular shape resembling a Chinese gold ingot known as
yuanbao Yuanbao () may refer to:
Places or structures Mainland China
* Yuanbao District (元宝区), in Dandong, Liaoning
* Yuanbao, Shangzhi (元宝镇), town in Shangzhi, Heilongjiang
* Yuanbao Township (元宝乡), Qing'an County, Heilongjiang
Taiwan
...
(元寶).
Jiaozi are wrapped in a slightly thicker circular white dough wrapper with more filling and either flat or pleated edges.
The wonton dough wrapper is sometimes referred to as a wonton skin and becomes transparent after being thoroughly boiled. It takes a shorter time to boil a wonton. The texture is also very smooth.
Wontons are traditionally served in soup, but jiaozi is usually eaten with dipping sauce.
Preparation and filling
Wontons are made by spreading a square wrapper (a
dough
Dough is a thick, malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops. Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes yeast or other leavening ag ...
skin made of flour,
egg
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
, water, and salt) flat in the palm of one's hand, placing a small amount of filling in the center, and sealing the wonton into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges together with the fingers. Adhesion may be improved by moistening the wrapper's inner edges, typically by dipping a fingertip into water and running it across the dry dough to dissolve the extra flour. As part of the sealing process, air is pressed out of the interior to avoid rupturing the wonton from internal pressure when cooked.
The most common filling is
ground
Ground may refer to:
Geology
* Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water
* Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth
Electricity
* Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...
pork and shrimp with a small amount of flour added as a binder. The mixture is seasoned with salt, spices, and often garlic or finely chopped
green onion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...
. Factory-made, frozen varieties are sold in supermarkets. Commonly, they are handmade at the point of sale in markets or small restaurants by the proprietor while awaiting customers. In markets, they are sold by the unit, without being pre-cooked.
Shapes and cooking methods
Wontons are commonly boiled and served in soup or sometimes deep-fried. There are several common regional variations of shape.
The most versatile shape is a simple right triangle, made by folding the square wrapper in half by pulling together two diagonally opposite corners. Its flat profile allows it to be pan-fried like a ''
guotie'' (pot sticker) in addition to being boiled or deep-fried.
A more globular wonton can be formed by folding all four corners together, resulting in a shape reminiscent of a stereotypical
hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; and a bum neither travels nor works.
E ...
's
bindle made by tying all four corners of a cloth together.
A related kind of wonton is made by using the same kind of wrapper, but applying only a minute amount of filling (frequently meat) and quickly closing the wrapper-holding hand, sealing the wonton into an unevenly squashed shape. These are called ''xiao huntun'' (literally "little wonton") and are invariably served in a soup, often with condiments such as pickles, ginger, sesame oil, and
cilantro (coriander leaves).
Cuisine
Each region of China has its own variations of wonton; examples include Beijing, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, Guangdong (Canton), Fujian, etc.
Dumpling
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...
s and wontons from the
7th
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
and
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
centuries CE were found in
Turpan
Turpan (also known as Turfan or Tulufan, , ug, تۇرپان) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 632,000 (2015).
Geonyms
The original name of the cit ...
.
Cantonese cuisine
In
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( or ) is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Maca ...
, shrimp-filled wontons within minced pork are most commonly served with
thin noodles
Youmian () are a variety of Chinese noodle widely used in Southern China, especially in the cuisines of Hong Kong and Guangdong. It has also been selectively used in the dishes of Shanghai, Malaysia, and Singapore. Youmian is also used in some d ...
to make
wonton noodles. It may also be consumed with
red vinegar. The soup is made from boiling shrimp shells, pork bones and dried flounder to give it a distinct taste. Wontons are served in variety of sizes with the smallest being two wontons and noodles called ''sai yung''.
Sichuan cuisine
In
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
, semi-pentagonal wontons are known as "folded arms" () since after initially folding the wonton skin into a right triangle, each end of the hypotenuse is pressed against the middle of opposite sides, creating an impression of crossed arms/hands. These are often served in a sesame paste and chili oil sauce as a dish called "red oil wonton" ().
Shanghai cuisine
In Shanghai and its surrounding area (Jiangnan, nowadays Yangtze River Delta), wonton filling is most often made with minced meat (usually pork) and
shepherd's purse served in chicken soup; however, Shanghai cuisine makes a clear distinction between small wontons and large wontons. The former are casually wrapped by closing the palm on a wrapper with a dab of pork filling as if crumpling a sheet of paper. These are popular accompaniments to breakfast or brunch fare. The "large" wontons are carefully wrapped, in a shape similar to tortellini, and a single bowl can serve as lunch or a light dinner. They are available with a large variety of fillings; a popular Shanghai fast food chain offers more than 50 varieties. One popular variety in Shanghai which is said to have originated in Suzhou is "three delicacies wonton" (''san xian hun tun''), which contains pork, shrimp and fish as primary ingredients.
Ningbo cuisine
Ningbo wontons come in two types,
steamed wontons and wonton soup. Both are filled with pork and shrimp.
Available at many Chinese-American restaurants, these wontons became popular due to their traditional preparation.
Jiangzhe cuisine
Jiangsu are often called "wonton". Wontons have two types, small wontons and big wontons. Big wontons are a large ingot shape. Generally boiled, the soup will usually be matched with thin egg omelette, seaweed, mustard greens, and shrimp.
Outside China
In
American Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those ...
(and occasionally
in Canada as well), wontons are served in two ways: in wonton soup (wontons in a clear broth), and as an
appetizer called fried wontons. Fried wontons are served with a meat filling (usually pork), and eaten with
duck sauce
Duck sauce (or orange sauce) is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at American Chinese restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as wonton strips, ...
,
plum sauce,
sweet and sour sauce, or hot
mustard. A version of fried wontons filled with a cream cheese and crab filling is called
crab rangoon. Another version of fried wontons is filled with a mixture of cream cheese, green onions, soy sauce and garlic.
Wonton strips, deep-fried strips made from wonton wrappers and served with hot mustard or other dipping sauce, are a common complimentary appetizer in American-style Chinese restaurants.
In the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, fried wontons are often called ''pinseques fritos'' (''pinsec frito'' in the
Castilian singular). ''Pritong pinsek'' is the
Cebuano and
Tagalog name. It also figures in the
noodle soup ''
pancit Molo
Pancit Molo or Filipino pork dumpling soup is a type of soup using wonton wrappers which originated from Molo district in Iloilo City. It consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrapper, shredded chicken meat, and also s ...
'', named after the
Molo district of
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of t ...
.
Wonton wrappers in the broth serve as the noodles in the dish.
Wonton is commonly eaten in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
as part of the country's hawker culture. It is commonly eaten with noodles and are called dry wanton mee.
In
Indonesian Chinese cuisine
Chinese Indonesian cuisine ( id, Masakan Tionghoa-Indonesia, ) is characterized by the mixture of Chinese with local Indonesian style. Chinese Indonesians, mostly descendant of Han ethnic Hokkien and Hakka speakers, brought their legacy of Chi ...
, they are called ''pangsit'' and are served fried or in soup, usually with Chinese noodles.
In Peruvian-Chinese gastronomic fusion called
Chifa
Chifa is culinary tradition based on Chinese Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. Though originating in Peru, the Chifa tradition has spread to neighboring countries like Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia. Chi ...
, wontons, called ''wantán'' in Peru, can be found fried with meat filling to eat with rice or ''Tallarín saltado'', and also in wonton soup or ''sopa wantán''.
In
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, wontons are called ''kiao'' (, ), from the Hokkien pronunciation of 饺 (Mandarin: ''jiǎo''; "
dumpling
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...
"). Wonton soup is called ''kiao nam'' (, ); the soup is made with chicken stock and the wontons made with a pork filling. The soup is very famous in Thailand.
In Eastern Europe, mainly Russia (where they are called пельмени ''pelmenyi'') and Estonia (where they are called ''pelmeenid''), wontons are usually filled with minced meat. They are eaten either boiled or fried, and many people eat them with vinegar and sour cream.
In
Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...
they are known as ''hoành thánh''.
Chinese names
In
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, they are called ''huntun'' ().
In Cantonese, they are called ''wantan'' (), which literally means "cloud swallow" because when they are cooked, the dumplings float in the broth like small clouds.
In
Hokkien language, they are called ''Pián-si̍t'' ().
Mythology
Hundun
Hundun () is both a "legendary faceless being" in Chinese mythology and the "primordial and central chaos" in Chinese cosmogony, comparable with the world egg.
Linguistics
''Hundun'' was semantically extended from a mythic "primordial chaos; ...
(混沌, close pronunciation to Hundun 馄饨) is also a legendary faceless being in Chinese mythology and the primordial and central chaos in Chinese cosmogony, comparable with the
world egg.
Gallery
File:Wonton noodle soup boston.jpg, A bowl of wonton noodle soup ()
File:Pangsit Goreng GM.jpg, A plate of fried wontons called ''pangsit goreng'' () with sweet and sour sauce, from Indonesian Chinese cuisine
File:Red Oil Wontons (红油抄手).jpg, Sichuan cuisine's red oil wontons ()
File:2wontons.jpg, Fried wontons from American Chinese cuisine
File:Grilled wonton.jpg, Grilled wonton snack
See also
References
{{Dumplings
American Chinese cuisine
Beijing cuisine
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese words and phrases
Dumplings
Fujian cuisine
Hong Kong cuisine
Hubei cuisine
Shanghai cuisine
Sichuan cuisine
Malaysian cuisine
Singaporean cuisine
Thai cuisine
Australian Chinese cuisine
New Zealand Chinese cuisine
Articles containing video clips
Chinese soups