The Art of Folding Wontons: A Skill Refined Over Years

Wonton folding is considered an art form in Chinese cuisine, requiring patience, practice, and an understanding of physics. At Ugly Dumpling, our team members have each folded hundreds of thousands of wontons over their careers. The traditional wonton folding technique creates a distinctive shape with corners that stick up slightly, giving wontons their characteristic appearance. The first step is placing a small amount of filling in the center of a square wrapper. Too much filling and the wonton won't seal properly; too little and it looks sparse. The wrapper is folded diagonally into a triangle, then the two points are brought together and sealed with a dab of water. The result is a small packet that's both aesthetically pleasing and functionally sound for cooking. When boiled, the wrapper becomes tender but maintains integrity, holding the filling inside. The wonton cooks quickly and floats to the surface when done, a visual indicator for our kitchen staff. Our wontons are served in a flavorful broth with a touch of sesame oil and fresh herbs. The ratio of wrapper to filling is carefully controlled—not too much dough that makes wontons heavy, not too little that makes them thin and delicate. Each wonton in a batch should be consistent in size and shape, and our team has developed techniques to ensure this uniformity despite the handmade nature of the work.