The wonton wrapper, or pi, literally translates to “skin”; these skins “function as a light, supple casing that protects and contributes texture to a dumpling” (Anderson, 64). Preparation of the wonton dough is crucial to the successful creation of the dumpling. The dough, made from wheat flour, lends to the thin, delicate skins that encase the wonton. However, rice flour can also be used, along with unbleached all-purpose flour (Anderson, 118). The simple egg-and-flour dough bears resemblance to Italian pasta (Nguyen, 63). Although commercially made wonton skins are available in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets, hand made dough most often lends to superior results. The best commercially produced wonton skins, labeled “thin” or “Hong Kong style”, can be found at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets (Nguyen, 71).
