Korean Mandu vs. Chinese Wonton: What’s the Difference?

The term mandu refers to a type of dumpling eaten in Korea. The word is borrowed from the Japanese word makki, which means “puffed rice cake”.

In contrast, wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling soup or noodle soup consisting of a piece of dough, usually filled with minced pork and shrimp, boiled in a clear broth.

Mandu are typically served as an appetizer with soy sauce and gochujang (hot pepper paste), while wontons are used in soups.

For those who have yet to try Korean mandu or Chinese wontons, here’s what you can expect from each one.

The difference between mandu and wonton

Mandu and wontons are both types of dumplings, but they come from different regions.

Mandu is a type of Korean dumpling that consists of a piece of dough filled with meat and other ingredients before being boiled in water or steamed and then served with soy sauce and gochujang (hot pepper paste). The term mandu is borrowed from the Japanese word makki, which means “puffed rice cake”.

Wonton, on the other hand, is a Chinese dumpling soup or noodle soup consisting of a piece of dough, usually filled with minced pork and shrimp, boiled in a clear broth.

Unlike mandu, wontons are used in soups. When ordering wontons, one would order wonton soup with egg noodles. For those who have yet to try Korean mandu or Chinese wontons, here’s what you can expect from each one.

This video below is quite helpful and understanding the small nuances between wonton and dumpling. Well worth a watch.

Differences in how they are eaten

Mandu are eaten as an appetizer. It’s often dipped in soy sauce and gochujang, which is a type of Korean hot pepper paste. Meanwhile, wontons are eaten in soups. When it comes to the filling for both dishes, mandu are typically stuffed with minced pork and shrimp while wontons are filled with minced pork flavored with shrimp or other fillings like vegetables, tofu, eggs, or seafood.

The taste of each dish

Some people would call mandus and wontons boring or bland dishes. However, that’s not the case with Korean and Chinese mandu and wontons.

The taste of each dish is actually quite different from one another. Koreans enjoy their mandu with soy sauce and hot pepper paste, while Chinese love to eat wonton soup. The two dishes can also be served in a variety of ways. You can have them boiled, fried, or even baked!

Conclusion

There are a lot of differences between mandu and wonton. Mandu is a Korean dumpling that is often eaten as a snack food, while wontons are a Chinese dumpling that is often part of a meal, like soup.

In terms of taste, mandu is often seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil while wontons are often filled with pork and seasoned similarly to mandu.

The biggest difference between the two, however, is how they are eaten.