Guangdong Province — ancient Chinese dumpling tradition
Wontons are thin-skinned dumplings with pork and shrimp filling, served in clear chicken-pork broth. Cantonese wontons (wan tan) use extra-thin wrappers and very fine pork-prawn filling; Shanghainese and Sichuan versions are larger with thicker skins and served in chilli oil (hong you chao shou). The thin-skinned wonton requires expert folding.
Sweet prawn and pork filling, delicate thin skin barely containing the filling, clear fragrant broth — elegantly simple Cantonese flavour language
{"Cantonese wonton filling: 70% prawn (diced, not minced), 30% pork mince; season with sesame oil, white pepper, soy","Wonton skins must be very thin — almost transparent; commercial Cantonese wrappers are cut square","Fold: place filling in centre, gather edges but leave a long tail — the 'goldfish tail' fold is distinctive","Broth: long-simmered chicken carcass, dried flounder (大地鱼), and dried shrimp — savoury and clean"}
{"Dried flounder (大地鱼粉) ground to powder is the secret ingredient in most Hong Kong wonton broth — extraordinary umami depth","The proper Cantonese wonton has a long tail that floats in the soup — aesthetically distinctive","Egg noodles added make it 'wonton mein' — one of Hong Kong's most iconic dishes"}
{"Using all-pork filling — prawn essential for Cantonese version","Overfilling causing wontons to burst","Serving in heavy stock that overwhelms the delicate wonton filling"}
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper — Fuchsia Dunlop; Every Grain of Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop