Mandu

Mandu is an umbrella term for the dumpling.  There are a variety of names based on what ingredients are inside.  For example gogi mandu indicates that the dumpling is filled with meat.  Yachae mandu is a dumpling filled with only vegetables.  Kimchi mandu is filled with only kimchi.[i]  There are also a variety of names based on the preparation of the dumpling. 

Mandu dumplings also vary depending on the province where they are made.  In the former capital of the Koryo dynasty, Kaesong, mandu is made with the ingredients natural to the region.  The region itself is very mountainous and suitable for many of the traditional ingredients, such as hogs and cattle.[i]  Therefore the dumpling is “hearty” with meat. 

In the P’yongan province, an area in the northern region of Korea, the mandu has also been adapted to fit the environment. The province has mountainous terrain in the east and flat plains in the west.  While in most areas of Korea it is eaten in the winter, in the P’yongan province, summer is the primary season in which the mandu is served. It is said that this region, now the capital of North Korea, tends to feature simpler flavors.  The P’yonsu mandu is a mixed vegetable and beef dumpling.  Unlike the typical mandu, it does not include pork.  This is because hogs are not indigenous to the region.[ii]  The vegetables include thinly sliced cucumber, mushrooms, and green onions.  The skin of the dumpling is made with wheat flour, which is selective to the area because buckwheat, wheat, and soy are prominent crops.  The P’yonsu mandu is dipped in a vinegar soy sauce, like the traditional mandu, however this sauce includes ground pine nuts, which the original does not.  Often times the P’yonsu mandu is added to a broth or a cold soup.  It is usually added to naengmyon, a thinly sliced noodle dish “drowned” in broth.[iii]