Mandu, the Korean dumpling, has long been part of my Lunar New Year table, paired with tteokguk, the rice cake soup eaten to “gain a year of age.” Making these by hand is not simply a task, but a ritual of connection. Similar to my family, Hong celebrates a handmade dumpling feast during Lunar New Year with close relatives and friends (Barrow). This ritual is not only celebrated within my Song family, but all Korean families. 

This dish doesn’t only symbolize unity between people but it represents how the Korean diet has evolved throughout the years. Food historians note that Korea’s traditional dishes evolved from the need to preserve food through harsh winters and humid summers (Kim). As the Journal of Ethnic Foods explains, early Korean diets depended on fermenting, salting, and creatively stretching limited resources in a landscape of rocky coasts and mountain ranges (Kim). Hence, mandu fillings once relied more on grains, vegetables, and fish than meat, whatever could survive the season or be preserved. 

Each time I fold a dumpling, I feel this harsh history in my hands. 

Mandu has traveled far from its early roots. Linked to similar dumplings from Central Asia and China, it eventually became a distinctly Korean creation with its own name and shape. Today, Korean dumplings have spread globally alongside the rising popularity of K-food. According to a cultural analyst, the global fascination with Korean health conscious cuisine has pushed dishes like mandu into international markets (“K-Food: Foodware Mandu”). Despite its worldwide appeal, this dish carries its own uniqueness. According to the Washington Post, the texture represents a hope that “good fortune will stick to you” during new year (Barrow). 

Still, no restaurant, no frozen bag from H-Mart, no trendy food-court version of mandu tastes like the ones I make together at home. Ours are soft and steaming, with a dough thin but elastic, filled with juicy pork that releases a burst of savory warmth in every bite. Dipping them in a salty-sour mix of soy sauce and vinegar, with a pinch of chili flakes that tickle the nose makes one addicted to these small bites. But, even these flavors aren’t what make my family’s dumplings unforgettable.