Mandu, a Korean dumpling, originated from China during the Goryeo Dynasty. It’s made with thin dough filled with various ingredients and cooked in different ways. The term “Mandu” shares roots with similar dishes along the Silk Road, like “mantı” in Central Asia. Traditionally, Mandu was a royal delicacy but is now widely available. Varieties include vegetable, meat, and kimchi Mandu. Similar dishes exist in China and Japan. Other types include Gamjaman, Kimchi, Galbi, Kwong, Dalgeol, Donga, and Homil Mandu. Various cultures have similar dumplings, such as Jiaozi in China, Manti in Central Asia, and Pelmeni in Russia.
Mandu (만두) is a Korean dish made by filling thin dough with vegetables and meat, then sealing it. It’s believed to have originated from China during the Goryeo Dynasty. There are various cooking methods and regional variations across the Korean Peninsula. Once reserved for royal cuisine, Mandu is now commonly found in supermarkets, restaurants, snack bars, food trucks, and as street food. Similar dumpling dishes exist in neighboring countries like China and Japan.
Name Origin The Korean word “만두(Mandu)” shares its origins with various similar foods in regions along the Silk Road, including Bashkir, Kyrgyz, Tatar “манты(mantı)”, Armenian “մանթի(mant’i)”, Azerbaijani, Turkish “mantı”, Uzbek “manti”, Uighur “مانتا(manta)”, Kazakh “мәнті(mänti)”, Tajik “манту(mantu)”, Pashto “منتو(mantu)”, and others.
The Chinese term “馒头(마타오; 饅頭)” also shares a similar origin. In the past, it referred to a food similar to Korean Mandu, filled with beef. However, today’s “마타오” refers to steamed or baked buns in China, such as Jiaozi and Xiaolongbao, without filling.
The term “만두(Mandu)” became widely used in Korea from the late Joseon period. Until the early Joseon era, it was mainly called “상화(Sanghwa)”, but it is presumed that it became firmly established as “Mandu” when, during the Qing Dynasty’s invasions like the Imjin War, it began to be enjoyed by enemies as a means of chewing and eating the heads of Koreans, similar to the pronunciation of “Mandu (만두 蠻頭)” in the sense of enjoying it as if chewing and eating the heads of enemies.
The oldest Korean food book, “Eumsik Dimibang” (음식다미방, around 1670), describes making Mandu by mixing buckwheat flour with water to make dough, then stuffing it with boiled radish and minced pheasant meat, frying it, and boiling it in broth. In the 1800s, “Juchan(주찬 酒饌)” featured Mandu filled with beef intestines, sheep’s tail, and mackerel flesh. The term “만두(Mandu)” is first recorded in “Yeongjeop Dogam(영접도감 迎接都監)” (1643), made specifically to welcome envoys from the Ming Dynasty. Afterwards, it was occasionally served at royal banquets. According to “Gyuhap Chongseo(규합총서),” a cooking guide from the Joseon period, Mandu dough was made by fermenting flour with alcohol.
Traditionally, Mandu developed primarily in the northern regions of Korea. While it was not as common in the southern regions, where rice farming dominated due to warmer climates, it was prevalent in the north, where buckwheat and wheat were cultivated. In the past, the lack of refrigeration posed challenges, especially in warmer regions, where ingredients like tofu and pork easily spoiled during spring and summer.
In the northern regions (north of Gaeseong), Mandu became a traditional dish for holidays like Seollal (Lunar New Year), with customs of making Mandu and Mandu soup. However, in the southern regions, people were less familiar with making Mandu and Mandu soup, so they often made tteokguk (rice cake soup) instead, using sliced rice cakes. As the tradition of making Mandu and Mandu soup spread from the north to the south, even in central regions, Mandu-making became common during Seollal after the Korean War. In Gangwon Province, Mandu soup is traditionally consumed on Seollal. In Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces, tteok-mandu-guk (soup with rice cakes and Mandu) is popular. However, in the southern regions, especially in Gyeongsang Province, making Mandu during Seollal remains rare.
Types of Mandu
Mandu is categorized based on its fillings and cooking methods. Varieties include vegetable Mandu, meat Mandu, and kimchi Mandu. Cooking methods determine types such as fried Mandu, steamed Mandu, and boiled Mandu. There are also unique Mandu variations like fish-filled mandu and pheasant-filled Mandu.
During winter, Mandu is commonly added to soups like broth or tteokguk (rice cake soup), while in summer, steamed Mandu like pyeonsu (square-shaped Mandu) or gyuasang (Mandu shaped like a sea cucumber) are popular.
In Kaesong, the tradition of making Mandu is prevalent in Gyeonggi Province, especially during winter. Mandu is made and stored on trays hanging in the house. Kaesong-style Mandu, a variation of Gyeonggi-style Mandu, is larger in size compared to other regional variations. It’s usually made by folding thinly rolled Mandu dough and filling it with meat. Kaesong-style Mandu includes unique varieties like pyeonsu, made in a pyramid shape with pumpkin and mung bean sprouts, and hobakseon, where pumpkin is sliced, filled with pork or beef, steamed, and served with soy sauce.
In Seoul, Mandu-making traditions aren’t as widespread as in Kaesong, but Seoul-style Mandu, enjoyed by the nobility, comes in various shapes and fillings. Seoul-style Mandu typically has a hole in the center to allow the broth to enter, enhancing its flavor. There’s also gyuasang, shaped like a sea cucumber, which was a royal dish during the Joseon Dynasty.
Pyongan Province-style Mandu usually includes boiled mung bean sprouts along with tofu and pork. They are large-sized, typically around 12 cm in diameter, and filled generously.
In Korean cuisine, Mandu dough is sometimes made with ingredients other than wheat flour, buckwheat flour, or starch. Fish-filled Mandu and abalone-filled Mandu are examples, even used in royal cuisine, as recorded in “I Soonrok” when Prince Injo presented abalone Mandu to the queen.
Other Mandu Varieties
- Gamjaman Mandu: Mandu filled with pork, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions, and chives, using potato starch dough.
- Kimchi Mandu: Mandu filled with chopped kimchi and various vegetables, with differences in seasoning between regions.
- Galbi Mandu: Mandu filled with marinated Korean-style ribs.
- Kwong Mandu: Mandu from Seoul and Chungcheongbuk-do, filled with minced pheasant, radish, mung bean sprouts, and onions, steamed.
- Dalgeol Mandu: A Busan specialty, Mandu filled with boiled sweet potato noodles and egg, resembling a pancake more than Mandu. Typically served with soy sauce.
- Donga Mandu: Mandu filled with thinly sliced radish, blanched, and wrapped around the Mandu filling, then steamed.
- Homil Mandu: Mandu made with buckwheat flour dough, filled with various ingredients.
Similar Foods
In China, there are similar foods to Korean Mandu called Jiaozi (餃子) and Baozi (包子). While the term “mantou” shared an etymology with Mandu and once referred to a food similar to Mandu with meat filling, it now refers to a bread-like food similar to steamed buns but without any filling. Jiaozi are similar to Mandu with thin wrappers, while Baozi are similar to Wang Mandu with thick, fluffy wrappers. In Japan, the Japanese-style Chinese dish Jiaozi is called Gyoza (ギョーザ).
Central Asia, South Asia, the Arab world, and the West also have foods similar to Mandu. Manti from Central Asia shares the same origin as Korean “Mandu.” One of Italy’s pasta dishes influenced by Manti is Ravioli, which shares a similar shape. In Poland and Russia, there are dumpling-like dishes influenced by Mongolia since the 13th century, known as Pelmeni and Pierogi.
East Asia & Southeast Asia: Gyoza, Gukjai, Guotie, Nikuman, Baozi, Siumai, Xiaolongbao, Shengjian Mantou, Jiaozi, Jjajangmyeon, Chashu Bao, Chunjuan, Har Gow, Hwandan, Huen Tun
Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Caucasus: Manti, Momo, Bansh, Buuz, Samosa, Samsa, Jushpara, Hushur, Hin Kalli
Europe & America: Ravioli, Sorrentino, Schlutzkrapfen, Anolotti, Casoncelli, Tortelloni, Tortellini, Pagnoti, Pasteu, Pirozhki, Pelmeni, Pirogi, Piroshki, Pierogi, Pittepalte