Mandu Product Review

What is Mandu?

Mandu is stuffed with various meat, vegetable, and/or noodle mixture just like dumplings. They can be boiled, steamed, or fried when they are served. Mandu is traditionally made with beef or pork, but nowadays chicken, shrimp, or vegetables only are also widely used.

Which Mandu is popular in Korea?

There is a wide variety of Korean mandu available in the market today. They are all pre-packed frozen food to be served after boing, steaming, or being fried. Most mandu are very rich in aromas and flavors as a balanced meal.
  
Here are some popular mandu products.

• Bibigo Mandu

• Rating: ★★★★★
• Good for fried and steamed mandu
• Chunky fillings with pork, tofu, chives, onions, and other ingredients
• Thin and chewy skin (wrapper)
• Available in many different flavors
• Got popular in the last few years

• Gohyang Mandu

• Rating: ★★★★★
• Good for Manduguk (Mandu soup)
• Very thin skin
• Skin easily gets broken while making Manduguk but it makes soup taste better
• Popular for more than 10 years in the Korean market

• Saegadeuk Flat Mandu
• Rating: ★★★★★
• Good for fried mandu only
• Flat shape makes it more crispy when fried
• A moderate amount of fillings with a little bit thick skin
• Popular as a snack or side dish

• Dongwon Gaesung Wang Mandu
• Rating: ★★★★☆
• Good for steamed mandu
• Big size mandu with full of fillings
• Soft and thin skin




• Ottogi Son Mandu
• Rating: ★★★☆☆
• Little bit thick skin
• A moderate amount of fillings
• Taste better when fried

• Freshian Wang Mandu
• Rating: ★★★★☆
• Big size Mandu
• little bit thick skin
• Very popular in Korea but not easily found in other countries yet

What can you do with mandu?

Mandu can be prepared in many different ways depending on how they are cooked. Gun mandu is pan-fried dumplings and it is the most flavorful and popular due to its crisp texture. It can be prepared as a main dish or finger food.

Jjin mandu is steamed dumplings and it is a lighter and healthier version of mandu. For those who love the light and healthy taste, steamed mandu with vegetable fillings is the best choice. Steamed mandu is more tender and easier to chew for the elderly or babies.

Another healthy option is Mul mandu which is boiled dumplings. You can cook mandu in boiling water for 4-5 minutes until they are thoroughly cooked. Mul mandu is also good for kids or the elderly because they are usually smaller and softer than other mandu types.

Depending on the main ingredients in the filling, there are gogi mandu(meat), kimchi mandu, vegetable mandu, shrimp mandu, etc. The most popular mandu type is gogi mandu with meat and vegetables. There is also a big-size mandu called Wang mandu that are made with 2-3 times more fillings and bigger skin.

All these dishes are great for a family gathering or parties as a tasty appetizer, main dish, or finger food.

Another popular dish with mandu is Manduguk, soup made with mandu in beef broth. It has been traditionally for Lunar New Year's Day. But it's now served on any ordinary day, especially loved in cold winter. Try different base stock such as meat, anchovy, or vegetables.

Any special tips?

Mandu is fun and easy to make with kids. You can make different shapes of mandu such as in the shape of half-moons or space ships or even a ball. With meats and vegetables such as onion, cabbage, garlic, mushroom, or tofu, you can make a healthy dish for your family. Don't forget to cover the mandu you and your kids made since mandu dries very quickly in the open air.

It is much easier to make if you use ready-to-make mandu(dumpling) wrappers in the market that are more sticker and hold the fillings well. You can store it in the freezer for future use once you make a large quantity. Just remember to steam in advance and cool before you freeze them.

There are various dipping sauce recipes online that you can refer to.