Wonton

The English word “wonton” reflects the Cantonese pronunciation wan t’an. While the Chinese characters (云吞) remain the same for both Cantonese and the more widely spoken Mandarin, Mandarin pronunciation of “wonton” is yún tūn, literally translating to “swallowing cloud”, referring to the apparent similarities between eating a wonton and swallowing a cloud (yún : cloud; tūn : to swallow). The typical pronunciation in the U.S. reflects a Cantonese origin; the earliest immigrants to the U.S. from China were, in fact, from the South, an area where Cantonese cuisine dominates. Beyond Cantonese cuisine, four other regional, or principal, cuisines largely define Chinese food culture: Szechwan, Canton, Fukien, Shantung, and Honan (Chang, 354). Characteristic Cantonese fare includes stir-fried dishes, a variety of finely cut vegetables, and the use of both seafood and meat in the same dish. The wonton, a typical Cantonese food, indeed includes both chopped shrimp and ground pork in its filling (Chang, 355).