Wonton noodle soup is a comfort food that provides warmth and joy for many. Every day, when I arrived home from elementary school, I looked forward to having a nice, cozy bowl of wonton noodle soup filled with love from my grandparents. My freezer was always filled with wontons that my grandparents had pre-wrapped-- it was so abundant I thought it would be a part of my life forever. But alas, high school came and my grandparents were growing older. They moved into a senior home, where they could be cared for, and I saw them less and less often. This past summer, in fact, both of them passed away. I never really confronted their passing, as I kind of just accepted that it happened and moved on with life. I saw my dad cry for the first time at their respective funerals; yet I could feel no emotion. However, life without them, even without seeing them very often, felt off to me. I couldn’t believe they were gone and still sometimes forget they are gone, too. In their memory and honor, my mom, cousin, and I made wonton noodle soup together as that is one of the few things that still ties me to my grandparents. It was what brought me so much comfort and a sense of home and self when I was younger, and that feeling is something I miss now. The sense of being carefree and well-connected to others are things I really value but do not find the time to remember at times, but cooking this dish with my family really took me back to the good old days.

Wonton noodle soup is an everyday dish, rich in nutrition yet low in calories. It has a high concentration of vitamins, such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and is also a source of carbohydrates because of the wonton wrapper as well as the noodles. It contains concentrations of Vitamin B12, Vitamin K, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin as well. However, its most dominant nutrient is protein, as it is said that one bowl of wonton noodle soup has around 19 grams of protein! Due to the low-calorie yet filling nature of this dish, it is actually considered rather healthy. It is energy-boosting given its richness in carbs, and can help build muscles due to its abundance in protein. It is also good for people who have heart disease, as it has just the right amount of sodium. Despite all its nutritional benefits, wonton noodle soup is a very tasty and heartwarming dish for anyone to enjoy. It is a family dish that can be used for medicinal purposes, but also brings people together with its simple richness. It is also customizable, as you can add your own condiments to put in the soup or dip your wontons in, which is simply the beauty of this dish. Wonton noodle soup has retained its Chinese roots; however, there are some modifications, which are offered in Hong Kong or Taiwanese style restaurants. Wontons can have different fillings, such as a vegetarian filling, which is lower in calories than the typical pork filling. There is also a form of it called crab rangoon, which is fried with a crab filling. Fried wontons with a sweet and sour sauce are a form of Westernized wontons, which are also offered in Taiwanese or Hong Kong style restaurants. This simply goes to show how customizable wontons are-- such a simple dish can have so many variations to it depending on one’s dietary preferences. Whether you prefer fried food, very flavorful food, spicy food, or are a vegetarian, wontons can have a place in your heart no matter what.

In the past, wonton noodle soup was actually reserved for upper class families, yet it traces back to ancient China when a doctor made wontons using the ingredients available to him in the mountains. He then incorporated soup into the dish and medicinal ingredients to cure the villagers of illnesses; however, wontons retained a lot of their original properties for a while. It was mainly reserved for upper class Chinese people and was exclusive to northern China, but then eventually was brought to Hong Kong post World War II. It was only after World War II that wonton noodle soup became more widespread and was offered to working class people. As the dish became more popular, it began to be served with variations-- it catered more towards the Western tongue and adopted features such as additional garnishes or fillings other than pork. Wonton wrappers can contain anything ranging from pork to caviar, depending on one’s personal preferences. They are also included in Asian fusions with other ingredients. Medicinal ingredients have also been incorporated into wonton noodle soup, and it was used by the Chinese to shield the bad tastes of medicine. Wontons are also said to bring you good luck and they resemble wealth, treasure, richness, and new beginnings. The qualities that wonton noodle soup has historically stood for are applicable to the reasons why I have consumed this dish as well. It was very interesting to learn about the historical context behind this dish-- I was able to realize not only what I was consuming, but also why I was consuming it. The variety that can come from such a simple dish, from its purposes to its flavor, are themes the Chinese didn’t only exhibit in the past. I can see these themes still prevalent in my Chinese ancestry and hope to pass them onto my kids. After a long day of work at school, I would come home to eat a bowl of wonton noodle soup. This allowed me to recharge and feel ready to take on the rest of the day, whether it was my homework or my extracurriculars. Additionally, because of its medicinal and soothing properties, my grandparents or mom would feed me wonton noodle soup when I was sick. The hot soup made it really easy for me to digest, and ultimately my heart felt full after I finished my serving. Even without literal riches and wealth, I can truly say I felt rich and wealthy in my stomach after having a fresh bowl of wonton noodle soup.

In the past, I don’t really think I was that close to my family. I kind of just came home, ate and then went straight to my room to do my own thing. But as I grew older and especially now that I’m in college, there is nothing more I appreciate than my family. I love watching basketball with my dad every night; I love having conversations with my mom during car rides; I love sharing hilarious anecdotes with my brother. Having realized this, it is truly unfortunate I didn’t have the honor of creating recent memories with my grandparents. However, making this wonton noodle soup allows me to feel almost as if they were still here. It is the fondest memory I have of them as well as what I remember most about them, and from now on, I will always keep them as well as this recipe close to my heart. My greatest takeaway, not only from cooking wonton noodle soup but also from these past few weeks, is that food is not simply something you consume. It is centuries and centuries of work; it is how you learn more about people and what makes us ultimately human. I feel wonton noodle soup really tells a meaningful story about me, and I know many other people have meaningful stories to tell through food too.