Xitianwei Wontons 西天尾扁食

How it is made

The genuine Xitianwei Wontons are made entirely by hand, and the wrapper takes the most care. Meat is patiently trimmed off pork ribs and beaten hard with a wooden mallet, usually for at least an hour for every two jin (about a kilogram) of meat. When it has become a paste, cassava starch (木薯粉) is added and the pounding continues with a wooden stick until the sheet is as thin as paper.

The filling is pork foreleg chopped by hand with dried shrimp (虾皮) and spring onion, seasoned with salt and monosodium glutamate. It is chopped in the same way as a jiaozi filling but more finely, so that it takes up the seasoning.

Flavour and texture

After this "thousand hammer blows" (千锤百炼) process, the wrapper is tender and the meat fresh, and the dumplings are strongly fragrant. Their fine workmanship and distinctive flavour have made them widely known and a Putian speciality snack.

Where it comes from

The Fujian Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs lists Xitianwei Wontons among the speciality foods of Houhuang Community (后黄社区), 2 km east of Xitianwei Town, together with braised tofu (焖豆腐), Xinghua fried rice noodles (兴化炒米粉) and Jiangkou braised noodles (江口卤面).

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