Mandu

The mandu is a traditional Korean meat-filled dumpling that has had deep significance in Korean gastronomy. It is a seasonal dish, meaning the ingredients used are based upon seasonal availability.[i]  While it was originally eaten at winter celebrations and in the royal court, over time it has transformed to become an integral part of everyday Korean cuisine.[ii]  The mandu is thought to have come from similar meat filled dumplings that originated from Central and East Asia, such as Turkish manti or Chinese mantou. Said to be the first cousin to the Chinese dim sum, we can assume that the mandu is a variation of the Chinese dumpling.[iii]  There is no exact translation for the word mandu, however since we see many similarities between it and the mantou, we can look at the mantou’s etymology to gain insight into the mandu’s.  Mandu is simply the Korean pronunciation of the mantou.  The mythology leads us to believe that the mantou means “barbarians head”.  So while the mandu might not translate to “barbarians head”, we can assume that it’s meaning derived from that of the mantou’s.

There are many variations of the mandu, however it is traditionally meat filled.  Pork is the main ingredient alongside cabbage kimchi, and mashed bean curd.[i]  As more ingredients became readily available for Koreans, the dumpling changed.  It can be made with chicken, seafood, simply kimchi, or even tofu depending on the consumer’s tastes.  Sometimes meat and tofu are even combined, because people believe that the tofu serves as a method to keep the meat moist.[ii]  All of the dumplings, no matter what the filling, are served with a warm vinegar soy sauce.