Wonton

The wrapper

Wonton wrappers are thinner than dumpling wrappers — almost translucent when stretched — and made with egg, which gives them a slight yellow colour and a slippery, silky texture when boiled. They cook in 2–3 minutes and have a tendency to overcook and become mushy if left in broth.

Folding styles

The wonton can be folded in several ways:

• Nurse’s cap — the most common; two opposite corners folded in, then the two bottom corners folded up and pressed together
• Rectangular parcel — simple four-corner fold, like a small package
• Golden fish tail — the traditional elaborate fold; the filling is placed off-centre and the tails left to extend like fish fins

Wonton noodle soup (HK style)

Hong Kong-style wonton mein is one of the defining dishes of Cantonese street food: springy alkaline egg noodles (mein) in a clear, intensely flavoured shrimp-roe-and-pork-bone broth, topped with 4–6 whole wontons. The wontons contain whole shrimp, giving them a firm, crunchy texture inside the silky wrapper.

Fried wontons

Deep-fried wontons are filled with cream cheese and/or crab in American-Chinese cuisine (crab rangoon) — a substantial departure from the Cantonese original. They’re crispy, chewy, and distinctly American in character.