While filling ingredients vary, wontons most commonly contain chopped shrimp and ground pork, often accompanied by scallions, water chestnuts, rice vinegar, and soy sauce (Nguyen, 69). In stuffing the wonton, one combines all the filler ingredients in a large bowl until they are thoroughly mixed. Place about ½ tsp of the uncooked filling in the wrapper, and proceed to the shape of your choice.

The pig is overwhelmingly the principal meat source in China with consumption surpassing all other land animals combined; the vast majority of the world’s pigs reside on Chinese farms (Anderson, 144). In fact, the Chinese have the same word for “meat” and “pork” because pork is so widely consumed (Newman, 59). By 5000 BC, Chinese Neolithic villagers’ principal meat source was pig, as remains true in China today (Anderson, 143). In Chinese culture, cattle, sheep, and pigs together comprise the sheng, or sacrificial, superior domesticated animals (Junru, 16). To pay respect to the pig, every part of the animal is consumed in every conceivable way; even the blood is coagulated and fried or steamed. While the traditional Chinese pig is lean, slow growing, fertile, disease resistant, and of excellent quality, modern out-crossing has created a faster growing yet inferior animal, resulting in the vast deterioration of Chinese pork (Anderson, 144). Most Chinese nationalities consume pork in various forms, including simmered, boiled, stir-fried, and twice cooked (Newman, 43).