All wontons are dumplings, but not all dumplings are wontons. Dumpling—a food item made of dough—is a category, and nearly every culture has a version of one. They can be filled or unfilled, and are usually steamed, baked or fried. The filling can range from something sweet to something savory. There are many different variations of dumplings featured in Chinese cuisine, one of which is the wonton or wuntun; in fact, the word “wonton” is derived from the Cantonese word “hundun,” which literally means dumpling. The typical qualities or characteristics that differentiate wontons from other dumplings is the thin, nearly translucent wrapper, whereas dumpling wrappers are is usually thicker; in addition, wontons are always filled, unlike some dumplings which can be prepared without a filling.

Daniel Valdez, Executive Chef  //  Fat's Asia Bistro  //  1500 Eureka Road, Roseville  //  916-787-3287