A Cultural History: Wonton Soup

Ariel Chin
9/18/2007
AnthroFood
Anagnost

Wonton Soup


For as long as I can remember, one of the earliest and most occurring memories of me in the kitchen is being beside my dad folding traditional Chinese wontons. My dad would purchase fresh ingredients from the supermarket, carefully chopping up the supplies, and adding them into the mix in the perfect order. After cracking and whipping a few eggs into a bowl, my turn came in. I was taught young the precise folding of the wonton papers (or “blankets” as I called them) into little boats. I remember my mom and dad standing over me, my little hands, in theirs, repeating in my head to not forget, “ a spoonful of filling, fold into a triangle, and dab of egg on the edges, flip it around and upside down, then kiss the tips!” At first and in my earlier years my “boats” were lumpy and crooked, with egg or filling seeping out of the sides and corners coming undone. But I loved making wontons. I loved the way they had to be folded so carefully like food origami; I loved the feeling of standing next to my dad, joking around and learning; And the result after all the blankets have been used—being able to look upon all the little boats awaiting sail in a boiling pot of soup!
Translated from Cantonese, ‘wonton’ somes from “wahn tan” literally meaning “swallowing clouds” because of the way they look when floating in soup. Usually they are filled with a seasoned pork mixture, but sweet wontons stuffed with dates and figs also exist. The wonton originated in Guangzhou in the Ching Dynasty, but after World War II, it found it’s way over to Hong Kong where it became more popular. Up until the Song Dynasty (1127-1270), they were a food only for the rich, but now they are widely eaten by all and vary depending on the ingredients. For example, because Hong Kong is by the coast, many of the won tons are filled with shrimp and fish.
In other parts of China they are called huntun, meaning Chaos, a word used to describe the beginning of the world. They are traditionally eaten on the Winter Solace, December 22nd to remember and honor ancestors. According to legend, The Han Chinese are direct decendants of the Lord of Man, named Hundu so they devour this traditional dish in his namesake. Although wonton can be eaten for really any meal or snack whether boiled in soup or fried, it is traditionally eaten at dim sum, sort of a Chinese brunch. Dim sum originated as a Cantonese custom as a time put aside to relax and sip tea for travelers on the Silk Road. But it took years, for food to be added into this little break, as it was thought to be inappropriate to combine tea and food.
Today, won ton soup can be found all over the world, and many connections have been made from it to other cultures’ cuisine. It is mythed that Marco Polo had traveled to China in the 13th century, and was so fascinated and delighted that he brought the recipe back to Italy. Also similar is the traditional Russian dish of pelmeni, Siberian dumplings filled with meat, mushrooms, or potatoes.
For me, the traditional preperation of wontons and the history behind it, really connects me to my culture. Growing up third generation asian amerian, I can often see how I can lose sight of my culture through American media, technology, and other cultures. But being able to fold these little homemade sumpling in the kitchen with my dad, is something unique to my family and to who I am. It is also very significant to me because out family recipe originated from my dad’s grandma and his mother. I never knew my grandma on my dad’s side because she died when he was in college, but her special and individual recipe being passed down to me provides some kind of a connection. For us, we usually make a bunch of dumplings at one time, and stick them in plastic bags in the freezer so that we can eat them later for a quick meal or snack. Another personal family tradtion is on Christmas morning, we always eat warming wonton soup before while opening presents. And especially now, being a plane ride away from home, wonton soup is an excellent comfort food and reminder of my family and my culture.










Wonton Soup Recipe

NGREDIENTS:
18 - 24 won ton wrappers
Filling:
1/2 pound boneless lean pork, chopped finely
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
a few drops sesame oil
1 teaspoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 green onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 dashes of white pepper
Other:
Water for boiling won tons
4 1/2 - 5 cups chicken stock
green onion, thinly sliced, as desired
a few drops sesame oil (optional)
**NOTE: my grandma sometime put dried orange peels into her wonton dumplings for a little bit of a crunch and tangy flavor.

PREPARATION:
Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay one won ton skin in front of you. Cover the remaining won ton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
Place a heaping teaspoon of won ton filling in the center.
Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal. Use thumbs to push down on the edges of the filling to center it. Keeping thumbs in place, fold over the won ton wrapper one more time. Push the corners up and hold in place between your thumb and index finger. Wet the corners with your fingers. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. The finished product should resemble a nurse's cap. Repeat with remaining won tons.

Alternate method: Place the teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and twist to seal. The final result should resemble a money bag or drawstring purse.

Boiling the won tons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5 - 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

a month pass...

It sitll has not hit me that EFs is over now. It went by faster than I ever would have thought. But i guess time flies when you are having fun!
I couldn't have been happier to have chosen this class as my first course. Informative and fun, I learned A TON in just a month, and LOVED doing it!! This class has made me think about so many issues that I had never ever considered or has been interested in. Before I ate what I wanted, and really did have little regaurd to what is in it, or where it is made. Now, after only a month, I have gotten in the habit of checking food labels and nutritional facts and eating more locally grown foods. It's funny how much it ahs changed me. Things such a genetically modified food and meat farmers were brought to my attention. I defiently felt most passionately towards the meat farms and how animals are treated. And now that I know more about it, I do want to do something about it. This class has made me want to change myself and others for the better. i want to spread all that I have learned that is wrong with our systema nd that is wrong with how some of the things that we eat are produced.
So thank you Professor Anagnost, and thank you to the rest of the class, I have learned more from this month long course than I would have ever thought!

symposium

Today we presented during the EFS symposium. While I didn't find the time to listeen to any toher presentations, it was interesting to look around at other booths to see what other classes had been up to during the month. I think that despite some slight technical difficulties, our prestntation went over very well. It was sweet, short, and enteratining.
Zmy group did the dorm food in Lander for our part. The research and little thing that we found out while preparding for the presentation was shocking! The fact that we weren't able to get any nutritional data from the dining halls or how it wasn't even posted in the first place! And seeing the other groups' information presented liek the convenience store and the UW farm, I learned things that, after a month, I had never seen, but should have been obvious to me.
OH! and by the way, the Lander 2con Convenince store now has a sign hanging up that says "Hey, check out our healthy and organic section!" I thought it was funny how this was put up right after the suymposium when we revealed the lack of healthy and organic food in the conveniece store. Coincidence, or did we make a difference??

punk food

I really enjoyed the article on punk food. I liked the idea and concepts these "hippies" are promoting and how they stand up for what they believe in. I also really like how they will organize and join together to fight for their cause. And while I personally don't think that I would have enough will power to do what they do (i lvoe all kinds of food too much!), I think that it's really admirable how strong they stay and how they stick together.
And speaking of punk food, the visit from David Giles was very interesting and amusing. I definetly agree with everything that he was saying and what he stood for. We waste so much perfectly good stuff everyday, and throw out things that can be useful to others. And to think of those so close by who have nothing and are starving. I think that the food not guns program is a brilliant idea to take what others have WASTED and to make something out of it. I grew up in a very uppper class privileged area, and have sen people throw out cans because they are slightly bent, or fruit because of one little bruise, or even material things liek a couch because there is a tiny little stain on it. It does seem ridiculous that we would bring it to a dump to waste instead of making soemthing out of it, or even better, pass it on to someone else who really does need it. I also really liked how food not guns will take what they have found and make a hot meal and distribute it every week. It cost them nothing but their time to do, and I'm sure that they have really saved nad made a ton of people very, very happy.
This is the first time that I have heard of this program, and was delighted to find that there is one in Berekely, close to where I live! and while I'm not too sure that I can work myself up to dumpster dive yet, helping out and volunteerinf for the organization is something that I'll definelty look in to!

China Shrimping

When Yu came to talk to us, she made me realize that this problem with industrializing food is worldwide, and not just a problem in the United States. She talked about how China's shrimping industry has been quickly changing from small local farms to big industrialized procedures. And because of these procedures, China is having to pay the consequences. Big shrimping machines and closed in shrimping farms put the enviroment and other animals in danger. It is taking away small. local family business for unhealthy and bigger farms which can sell cheaper and make more of a profit.
This reminded me exactly of ruth Ozeki's book and what we talked about. It is directly parallel to the industrialized farming of potatoes and other vegetables. Injected chemicals to make the shrimp and vegetable look better or last longer, put the consumers in danger. We don't know what is in what we eat anymore that is not organic. Farmers these days will sacrifice anything to make a bigger profit and to dominate the market. Smaller family farms have seemed to diappear only to be replaced by these bigger industrialized ones that consolidate what they are raising into smaller areas so that while they are unhealthy, they can raise more of them.
This problem is worldwide. And it applies to almost everything--plants and animals. At this point in time, it seems to me that we have dug ourselves in to a hole that's too big to get out of. It's actually kind of scary to me thinkiong about how what we are eating is being prosuced, and if it's even worth it.

soup for the soul

Surprisingly, I actually have never had lentil soup before, so cooking and eating it was a completely new experience to me! After the final preperation, i was pleasantly surprised by my first bite! The soup was tasty and flavorful, and i was shocked because it tasted like there was chicken broth and meat in it! Professor Anagnost said that it takes something good to make water taste good, and i think that we really succeeded. I liked how all the ingredients were fresh, and how natural and whole it all was. Everything included was grown naturally fromt he ground

aniamls

Watching the Meatrix really brought a new light into what I am eating.
I am a huuuge animal lover; i always have been. I was always the little girl who cried when animals were hurt in movies, and who would refuse to kill even bugs that were in the house. A funny, witty, flash animation movie that made a serious issue more of a reality to me. I can't even think of horrible conditions that some of the animals live in in the farms, all for people who are only looking to make a profit! They are sqeezed into small pens, underfed, genetically and wrongfully altered, and made to live in diseased and dirty conditions. The movie made me furious about the treatment of these animals!! It really made me think about what I was putting in my body, and if it was even worth it.
On another, but similar note, the other day when I was watchin Hogan Knows Best on VH1, they were talking about being kosher. Before I had never really thought into what keeping or eating kosher was other than that I had some jewish friends at school who did it. But through a not-so-educational tv show, I learned the basics of keeping kosher and what it is to eat kosher food. Kosher has to do with the way that the food is prepared, and how the animals are treated. They have to be kept in good conditions and killed with no pain in order to be considered kosher. Everything is fresh and clean. I loved the idea and concept of keeping kosher, especially after watching the meatrix, and seeing how horrible some animals are treated. It's humane and fresh and healthy, which really appealed to me.

Pollan

Reading just the introduction of Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma, brought a lot of good points to my mind. Like, how the Atkin's diet fad changed the way everybody ate, and what was sold in the stores. Grain sales dropped as meat rose. And how 100 calories packs and low carb snack bars popped out of nowhere. And I like how he brings attention to the way that we Americans, known to be overweight, are the ones most obssessed with eating healthy and counting calories. We don't look to enjoy our food, but rather to what sounds the healthiest. Yet, we are still the most unhealthy and overweight. We are obssessed with nutrition, that we overthink it too much and overlook actual value of what we are eating. I have never heard of the "French Paradox", but I understand and witness it in almost every other country I visit. Americans are known to be fat, other countries eat what they want and enjoy, but are more fit than us. I think that a lot of it has to do with our lack of exersice and the amount that we eat. We are sooo used to eating huge portions of food where "bigger is always better" and because we are such a capitalist country, we always want to get the most out of our money. We, as Americans, are willing to sacrifice nutrition and health for what is cheap and fast. I also really like how Pollan sort of makes fun of us because we really don't know waht goes into most of the foods that we do eat. How, recently, people are becoming infatuated with buying organic with booms at stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, but, still, for most of what we eat, we need a nutritionist to tell us what is in it.

P-Patch

On the last day of class, we were taken to the Seattle P-patches. We saw two of them, on opposite sides of the campus. The main difference between the 2 was the lay-out and what was being grown. When more food over flowers and plants are being grown, it's probably because people needed the food to eat. The lay-out just had to do with the community and personal prefrences. Just the concept that they presented really impressed me. The idea of them were ingenious! Not only do they provide a chance for healthy, homegrown food, but they also promote a sense of community and meals for low income people. It was like a haven in the middle of the big city; a garden growing right out of the cement. They are versatile, useful, and good for the people and city. I love the idea of P-patches, and would really push for more of these to pop up not only in Seattle, but also in other cities.

pike's place market

So, on our first Friday off, me and some of the other kids on my hall decided to explore seattle a bit. Hopping on the #73 bus, we traveled to the infamous pike's place market! I had been there before, but this time I was keeping in mind how we had previously in class talked about fresh foods, locally grown foods, and knowing where everything had come from. I paid special attention to labels and fresh ingredients- seeing where everything comes from like honey from a certain area, fruits grown fresh, oragnically, locally, and fish caught in freshwater or saltwater.
It made the already bustling market more interesting now that I had started to take extra notice to the little details put into each homemade item. Such as the difference between clover honey and regular honey. Or why certain fruits are more expensive than others, be it becasue they were grown in a certain area, or grown with a certain method. I noticed the ones grown fresh and organically with no chemicals tended to be pricier, yet looked smaller and less appetizing than the large, brightly colored ones grown with pesticides and other chemicals. I took more note of the way things are grown and the difference it can make in what you are putting in to your body by eating it.
I love the colors and smells of the fresh famers market. And just the fact that you are told where everything is grown and how, already gives all the produce and products a step up from anything you could ever buy in a store. I can definetly see why people would choose to spluge on the fresher, more natural products and why it would be worth it to make sure and go to a restraunt that buys locally and fresh.
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cultured?

I am 3/4 chinese, and 1/4 native polynesian/native hawaiian. Plus, growing up as the thrid generation, I think that i have been given the perfect balance between american culture and my native cultures. And now that i think of it, all of these factors play a huge role in what I eat.
From my dad's side, I get my little bit of Hawaiian. One of my favorite meals is hawaiian bbq. I have memories of being at my aunts' houses, dining on the traditional rice, poi, salad, and macaroni.
My main culture influence is definetly from my Chinese side. My mom's parents are the only grandparents that I have, and I am very close with them. My grandma is an infamous chef, cooking traditional Chinese dishes for all of her friends and family. Her recipies and secrets have been passed down to my mom, who cooks for us. Traditional chinese food is a staple in our everyday cuisine.
I think that I am perfectly centered as a third generation child. While I am still very close with my culture, I am also opened up to American culture as well. And as a definite plus, I am lucky enough to have parent that love to travel. Every summer, my family takes a big trip. we have experienced Hong Kong, Japan, Italy, China, Spain, and Australia among other places. My dad and mom are huge food lovers, so whenever we go anywhere, they always make sure that we have native dining and that we try everything possible.
SO, after all that, I do think myself to be very cultured. And from that, I am able to take samples of very different foods, to see them indiviually, and to even bring a little of each together!

anthropology of food

The first question we were asked yesterday was "why did you sign up for this class?"

Just the word "food" in the title was a big part of me choosing this class for EFS. I didn't really know what anthropology was, or what we would be studying. But i was pleasantly surprised after going over the course descprition and syllabus. I mean, who really thinks about what they are eating? Who knew that there are so many different levels and personalities to food?!

I think what I am most interested in the the connection of food to culture. How, worldwide, we all use the same basic ingredients, but the difference in a certain spice or the way it's

cooked and put together will create a completely different dish. I mean, a chicken is a chicken, right? No matter where you are in the world, that will always be the same. But what it's cooked with and how can associate it with any culture around the world. And to think of the history and meaning behind each careful preperation or ingredient connected to its orgin, and those cooking it.