Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Mandu: The Dumpling Family

Updated June 11, 2026

The Korean dumpling family that arrived in Goryeo and never left: steamed, pan-fried, and boiled mandu; kimchi and shrimp and galbi fillings; the market's wang-mandu; Daegu's flat nabjak-mandu and Gangwon's potato gamja-mandu; the court's summer eomandu, pyeonsu, and gyuasang; and the manduguk that shares the New Year table. Pleats measured, fillings weighed.

Culinary Explorer

A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.

Discover Culinary Explorer
Gun-mandu (Pan-Fried Korean Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gun-mandu (Pan-Fried Korean Dumplings)

Crescent mandu with a browned, crackling belly and a juicy pork, tofu, chive, and noodle filling, cooked by the plain restaurant trick: oil first, water next, lid on, then crisp again.

Gyuasang (Court Sea-Cucumber Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gyuasang (Court Sea-Cucumber Dumplings)

A summer court dumpling with thin wheat skins, beef, cucumber, and shiitake, pleated into ridged crescents to resemble prized haesam and served cool for a special table.

Twigim-mandu (Deep-Fried Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Twigim-mandu (Deep-Fried Dumplings)

Blistered bunsik-shop dumplings filled with pork, tofu, chives, and just enough glass noodle, fried from cold so the wrapper crisps before the filling dries out.

Gamja-mandu (Gangwon Potato Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gamja-mandu (Gangwon Potato Dumplings)

Gangwon-style potato dumplings with a bouncy, near-translucent wrapper made from grated raw potato and starch, wrapped around pork and garlic chives, then steamed until tender and glossy.

Jjin-mandu (Steamed Korean Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Jjin-mandu (Steamed Korean Dumplings)

Thin dumpling skins wrapped around pork, tofu, cabbage, and chives, set over a covered pot until tender, with the filling squeezed dry so the pleats stay closed.

Nabjak-mandu (Daegu Flat Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Nabjak-mandu (Daegu Flat Dumplings)

Daegu's thin, nearly empty market dumpling, filled with just enough glass noodle and chive to count, griddled flat until crisp at the edges and eaten with sharp scallion soy.

Yachae-mandu (Vegetable Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Yachae-mandu (Vegetable Dumplings)

Meatless Korean dumplings packed with cabbage, chives, mushrooms, tofu, and glass noodles, folded for the freezer or the pan, with the filling wrung dry before it ever meets the wrapper.

Pyeonsu (Kaesong Square Summer Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Pyeonsu (Kaesong Square Summer Dumplings)

Square summer mandu from Kaesong, filled with zucchini, beef, tofu, and pine nuts, boiled just until tender and chilled in clear broth so the green filling shows through.

Tteok-manduguk (Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Tteok-manduguk (Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup)

Where the rice-cake New Year bowl meets northern dumpling comfort: chewy oval tteok and plump mandu in clear broth, finished cleanly for Seollal.

Saeu-mandu (Shrimp Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Saeu-mandu (Shrimp Dumplings)

Shrimp dumplings with snap inside the bite, half the shrimp chopped into the pork and tofu filling, half left in pieces so each mandu tastes clearly of the sea.

Eomandu (Fish-Wrapped Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Eomandu (Fish-Wrapped Dumplings)

Thin slices of white fish stand in for dumpling wrappers, folded around a restrained beef and mushroom filling, then steamed until pale, tender, and worthy of a summer dinner table.

Manduguk (Korean Dumpling Soup) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Manduguk (Korean Dumpling Soup)

A clear Seollal bowl of handmade mandu in beef broth, finished with egg ribbons and gim, the northern and Seoul way of greeting the year one dumpling at a time.

Bibim-mandu (비빔만두, Spicy Mixed Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Bibim-mandu (비빔만두, Spicy Mixed Dumplings)

Daegu market flat dumplings, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle, tossed with cold shredded vegetables and a measured gochujang-vinegar sauce that should bite, not bury the cabbage.

Sungchae-mandu (숭채만두, Cabbage-Leaf Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Sungchae-mandu (숭채만두, Cabbage-Leaf Dumplings)

A recorded late-Joseon dumpling wrapped in blanched cabbage instead of dough, filled with beef, tofu, sprouts, and mushroom, then steamed until the leaf turns translucent over the clean, savory center.

Mul-mandu (물만두, Boiled Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Mul-mandu (물만두, Boiled Dumplings)

Thin-skinned Korean dumplings boiled until the wrappers turn glossy and the filling sets, served hot with a sharp soy-vinegar dip, light enough for a weeknight and careful enough to write down.

Kimchi-mandu (Kimchi Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kimchi-mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

Well-sour kimchi, wrung out hard and chopped fine, folded with pork, tofu, and glass noodles into dumplings that can be boiled for soup or pan-fried for the table.

Wang-mandu (Giant Steamed Bun Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Wang-mandu (Giant Steamed Bun Dumplings)

The big market-cart mandu with a soft leavened wrapper and a generous pork, tofu, noodle, and vegetable filling, built large enough that one dumpling can feed a hungry person.

Kaesong-mandu (개성만두, Kaesong New Year Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kaesong-mandu (개성만두, Kaesong New Year Dumplings)

Large, thin-skinned Kaesong mandu filled with pork, tofu, kimchi, and bean sprouts, poached gently and served two to a bowl in clear beef broth for the New Year table.

Gogi-mandu (고기만두, Meat Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gogi-mandu (고기만두, Meat Dumplings)

The mandu all the others grow from: pork, tofu, garlic chives, cabbage, and glass noodles wrung dry, seasoned carefully, test-fried once, then folded for the pan, pot, or freezer.

Gullim-mandu (Pyongan Skinless Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gullim-mandu (Pyongan Skinless Dumplings)

The wrapper that never was: northern dumpling filling rolled into tender balls, dusted with flour, dipped in egg, and simmered until a thin skin forms in the broth.

Galbi-mandu (갈비만두, Galbi Dumplings) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Galbi-mandu (갈비만두, Galbi Dumplings)

A modern market dumpling filled with pork seasoned in the galbi manner: soy, pear, garlic, sesame, and scallion, folded thin so the wrapper stays tender and the meat still tastes of meat.

Where cooking meets culture.

Culinary guides, cultural storytelling, and the editorial depth that makes cooking meaningful.

Discover Culinary Explorer