Wontons Are Our Favorite Lunar New Year Delicacy. Here’s How to Make Your Own. 

During the multi-week celebration, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to make (and eat) them with this recipe

February 3, 2025 12:45 pm EST
The hot oil wontons from Duck N Bao
The hot oil wontons from Duck N Bao
Sabrina Miskelly

If ever there was a holiday dedicated to the pursuit of good fortune and wealth, it would be Lunar New Year. Though observed by billions of people across Asia and the rest of the world, the most populous country to celebrate the first new moon of the lunar calendar is China, where the advent of the Lunar New Year catalyzes weeks of merrymaking, celebrating and, critically, feasting, all with an eye toward riches. 

The traditional Chinese greeting during this highest of holidays, “Gong Xi Fa Cai,” translates to “Hope you increase your wealth.” And, naturally, the traditional food of this holiday – dumplings – are meant to resemble little purses of money. But whether a bowl brings you great wealth or simply great culinary joy, making (and eating) this delicacy with friends and loved ones represents the kind of familial bonding that undergirds any celebration of a new year. 

“Wontons are significant in Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, as they symbolize wealth and good fortune,” says chef Leo Xia, owner of Duck N Bao and Hongdae 33 in Houston. “Because of this, dumplings are eaten during the new year in many Asian cultures. While wontons are most common in China, you might find mandu in Korea or gyoza in Japan.” 

In Chinese culture, wontons are distinct from other types of dumplings in that their wrappers are made with a specific dough. “Wonton wrappers feature eggs in the dough, giving it the golden color that further helps to represent wealth,” says chef Tim Ma, co-founder and culinary director of Laoban Dumplings

Unlike jiao zi, sometimes called potstickers, wontons are typically smaller and not typically served with dipping sauces, explains Eric Huang, founder and chef of Pecking House (and an Eleven Madison Park alum). “Wontons are meant to be eaten in soups and broths, often alongside noodles (which signify long life in Chinese New Year celebrations,” he says. “The dough is rolled thinner, and the egg — in addition to the golden coloring — gives a more slippery texture, thus facilitating slurping.” 

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As for that trademark purse-like shape, the art of folding wontons differs from family to family. But the process generally begins with a square-shaped wrapper, rather than a rounded wrapper, according to Xia. “The square allows for a couple quick folds to create the familiar diamond or bonnet shape, most commonly found in my own upbringing and wonton making,” he says.  

And while you might find a range of wonton fillings throughout the year, during Chinese New Year, “pork and shrimp are the most traditional fillings because together they symbolize wealth, luck and happiness,” Xia adds. Symbolism aside, Huang notes that pork is critical in wontons given the fat content of the protein, which helps to keep the filling moist. You might also find chives in your New Years’ dumplings or, in the case of my own family, other vegetables like bok choy. 

Making wontons is no doubt a labor of love. But with the help of store-bought wonton wrappers (which saves considerable time and energy from rolling out these paper-thin pieces of dough), the right recipe for a delicious filling and a few trial and error attempts at folding (watch a couple of videos for different techniques), you’ll have a treat that’s as delicious as it is indicative of your good fortunes to come. Check out the following recipe, courtesy of Ma, to try at home. 

Chicken soup with wontons from Duck N Bao
Chicken soup with wontons from Duck N Bao
Dragana Harris

Pork and Shrimp Wontons

Servings: 6

Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
  • .5 cup scallions, chopped
  • .25 cup Chinese chives, chopped
  • .25 cup garlic, chopped
  • .5-inch piece ginger, chopped
  • 1 tsp. white pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
  • .25 cup soy sauce
  • Bowl of water, for folding
  • 1 or 2 packages store-bought wonton wrappers
Directions
  • For the wonton filling:
    1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix for at least 10 minutes or until the filling sticks to the side of the bowl.

    2. Place .5 Tbsp (do not overfill) into the center of a wonton wrapper. Keep unused wrappers under a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.

  • Folding the wontons:
    1. Dip your finger into a bowl of water and trace along all four edges of the wrapper (this will act as a glue for the wrapper).

    2. Fold the filled wrapper in half.

    3. With your finger, place a dot of water onto the bottom right corner (the side with the crease) of the folded wonton. Bring the bottom left corner on top of the bottom right corner, creating a purse-like shape.

  • To cook the wontons:
    1. In a large pot, bring 3 to 4 cups of water to a boil.

    2. Once water is boiling, add wontons. Be sure to add only as many wontons that can float in a single layer in the pot.

    3. Once the wontons float to the top of the pot, add 1 cup of water. Repeat this once more.

    4. Remove from water and serve immediately with soup of your choice, chili oil or accoutrement to taste.

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