Far beyond little beggar’s bags filled with sautéed cabbage, today’s wontons appear in many different fresh and current preparations. Here are some recipes that showcase this handy food item in unique yet totally accessible ways.

Winning Wontons

Defined

Wonton means “swallowing clouds” in Chinese — but the word comes from Cantonese, not Mandarin.

Introduced

Wontons are believed to have been introduced to the West by early Chinatown settlers from the city of Guangzhou in southern China.

Prepared

In Shanghai, the wrapping is flour-based and thicker and whiter than it is in Guangzhou. In China, white is a color associated with death, which is why so few Chinese foods are white.

Salmon Wontons with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce

Recipe by Esther Ottensoser

Wontons have come a long way since they left the soup! Move aside chicken and beef wontons… How about trying salmon?

SERVES 12

• 24 ¾-inch (2-cm) salmon cubes
• sesame teriyaki sauce
• 24 wonton wrappers
• canola oil, for frying

Marinate salmon cubes in teriyaki sauce for an hour or two. Place a salmon cube in the center of each wonton wrapper. Bring two opposite corners to the center and then bring in the other two corners to form an envelope.

Heat the oil in a large pot and fry each wonton for 2–3 minutes on each side.

To serve: Plate the wontons in small, rectangular, three-compartment plastic dishes. Place two wontons in either side of the rectangular dish and fill the center with more sesame teriyaki sauce. Place the dish on the upper part of a square plate. Fill the remaining part of the plate with salad of your choice.

Note: For best results, do not freeze the wontons after frying.