Mandu

Mandu
Korean-style pan-fried mandu
Korean name
Hangul	만두
Hanja	饅頭
Revised Romanization	mandu
McCune–Reischauer	mandu

Mandu are dumplings in Korean cuisine. First brought to Korea by the Mongols,^[1] they are similar to what are called pelmeni and pierogi in some Slavic cultures. The name is a cognate to the names of similar types of meat-filled dumplings in Central Asia, such as Turkish manti, Kazakh manty, and Uzbek manti. It is also a cognate with the Chinese mantou, although mantou is a steamed bun rather than a dumpling.

In Korean cuisine, mandu generally denotes a type of filled dumplings similar to the Mongolian buuz and Turkish mantı, and some variations are similar to the Chinese jiaozi and the Japanese gyoza. If the dumplings are grilled or fried, they are called gunmandu (군만두). Mandu are usually served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce and vinegar.

History

It is believed that mandu were first brought to Korea by Mongolians in the 14th century during Goryeo Dynasty.^[2] The state religion of Goryeo was Buddhism, which discouraged consumption of meat. Mongolian domination of Goryeo relaxed the religious prohibition against consuming meat, and mandu was among the newly imported Mongolian dishes that included meat.

Another possibility is that mandu came to Korea at a much earlier period from the Middle East through the Silk Road.^[3] To support this theory, historians point out that many cuisines based on wheat, such as dumplings and noodles originated from Mesopotamia and gradually spread from there. It also spread east along the Silk Road, leaving many versions of mandu throughout Central and East Asia.

Varieties

• Eomandu, mandu wrapped with sliced fish fillet. It was originally eaten in Korean royal court and yangban (noble class) families.^[4]
• Gullin mandu (굴린만두), or called gulmandu is a variety of mandu in a ball shape without a covering. It is mainly eaten in summer.^[5]
• Gunmandu is pan-fried mandu, the Korean version of potstickers. The word literally means "roasted, broiled, baked, toasted, grilled, or parched^[6] mandu" (gueun mandu), though it is usually pan-fried.
• Gyuasang (규아상), mandu stuffed with shredded cucumber and minced beef in the shape of sea cucumber. It is mainly eaten in summer.^[7][8]
• Kimchi mandu, the stuffing contains kimchi. The stuffing inside mandu and songpyeon is called "so" (소). The addition of kimchi gives it a spicier taste compared to other mandu.
• Mulmandu, the word itself means "water mandu" since it is steamed on a covered wire rack or inside a traditional bamboo steamer.
• Pyeonsu (편수), mandu stuffed with vegetables in a rectangular shape. It is mainly eaten in summer and a local specialty of Kaesong, North Korea.^[9][10]
• Saengchi mandu (생치만두), mandu stuffed with pheasant meat, beef, and tofu, that was eaten in Korean royal court and in the Seoul area during winder.^[11]
• Seognyu mandu (석류만두), literally "pomegranate dumpling" because of the shape.^[9]
• Somandu (소만두), mandu stuffed with only vegetables, that was originally eaten in Buddhist temples.^[12]

Dishes made with mandu

Manduguk

Manduguk is a variety of Korean soup (guk) made by boiling mandu stuffed with ground meat, and another filling in a beef broth. In the Korean royal court, the dish was called byeongsi (餠匙) while in Eumsik dimibang, a 17th century cookbook, it was called "seokryutang" (석류탕).^[13] Mandu soup. It is similar to tteokguk. Generally, eggs are added in the manner one makes egg drop soup, sliced gim (laver) is added on top as a garnish.

In popular culture

In the film Oldboy, the protagonist Oh Dae-Su is fed a steady diet of gunmandu, the food that he hates the most, while he is imprisoned. After he is released, he visits various restaurants serving gunmandu to determine where he was held captive.

See also

• Dumplings
• Buuz
• Jiaozi
• Mantı
• Pierogi

References

• Lee, Mi-jong (이미종). (2008-02-20) (in Korean) 겨울의 맛! 피와 소, 모양···만두 三色 미학 Yeoseong Chosun

External links

• Golden Mandu (Korean Dumplings) (Kate's Global Kitchen, by Kate Heyhoe)