Subgum Wonton vs. Regular Wonton Soup Which is better

What is Subgum Wonton Soup?

Subgum Wonton Soup or Wor Wonton Soup is a clear wonton soup with added vegetables, meat, and seafood to make a complete meal in one bowl. The word subgum is a mispronunciation of the Cantonese word sahp gam, meaning ten brocades, roughly a way of communicating the various ingredients used in the dish.
Despite its Cantonese Origin, Subgum Wonton Soup has been extremely popular in North America for over a century. It has been an essential part of American-Chinese cuisine and was mentioned in newspapers like The Chicago Tribunal in its early 1900 editions.

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Wontons were introduced by the Qing Dynasty in 1644 and were previously considered the food of kings and nobles. The Cantonese immigrants brought the shrimp-pork wonton to the U.S. before the mid-twentieth century, after which the subgum wonton soup started gaining popularity in Western countries. While Cantonese preferred a simpler version of Wonton Soup as an American-Chinese cuisine, the dish has gone through numerous innovations to make it palate-friendly.

What is Regular Wonton Soup?

A regular Wonton Soup is a simpler version of Chinese soup made with fewer ingredients and improved with Chinese authenticity.

Wontons are a form of Chinese dumplings commonly found in regional styles of Chinese cuisine. What makes wontons different from other dumplings is their comparatively thinner crust and square shapes explicitly designed for use in soups and broth-based dishes.

Regular Wonton Soups are made of fewer ingredients and have a clearer broth.

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Based on the following criteria, let’s compare Subgum Wonton Soup and Regular Wonton Soup.

Origin

Subgum Wonton soup originated in the Cantonese settlement of Northern America and has an American-Chinese touch.

Regular Wonton Soup originated in China, with the earliest evidence of the dish found in the Turpan City of Northwest China.

Key Ingredients

The key ingredients of Subgum Wonton Soup are

Pork Wontons
Beef Broth/ Chicken Broth
Vegetables like Spinach, celery, carrots
Dry Sherry
Shrimp or Diced onion as a topping

Key ingredients of Regular Wonton Soup include

Pork Wontons / Chicken Wontons
Broth
Rice Wine
Green Onions as toppings
Aromatics

Traditional vs. Adapted Recipe

Traditionally, Subgum Wonton Soups are made with pork wontons, beef broth, and an assortment of vegetables. As a later adaptation, some chefs use crab meat as filling instead of pork and scallops as an addition to the broth.

Traditionally, Regular Wonton Soups are clear soups made using pork wontons and beef broths. But in some states, seaweed and shrimp are used to make it extra savory.

Flavors and Seasonings

Subgum Wonton Soups have rich flavors and a pleasing texture created by the mixture of soft wontons and crisp vegetables. The chief seasonings used are

Hoisin Sauce
Soy Sauce
Black Pepper
Salt
Tomato Sauce
Sesame Oil

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Regular Wonton Soups have a mild and savory flavor with hints of sesame oil, ginger, and shrimp being strong in the broth. The wonton fillings also add a bit of sweetness to balance the broth. The broth is seasoned with

Ginger
Garlic
Mild Sugar
Lemon Juice
Chilli-Garlic Oil
Salt

Unique qualities

The unique qualities of Subgum Wonton Soup are

It is a one-pot meal.
It has a refreshing texture caused by the addition of mushrooms and meat.

The unique qualities of Regular Wonton Soup are

It is a mixture of health and taste.
You can make it in a wide range of gourmet and easy manners. For Gourmet, you can make the wontons and broth from scratch, and to prepare it quickly, you can use store-bought wontons.

Filling, Flavors, and Ingredients

Subgum Wonton soup uses pork, shrimp, meat, or crab fillings. Some of the variations used in subgum wonton soup are

Wonton Wrappers ( pork ) + Mushrooms + Shrimp + Chicken Broth + Carrots + Baby Bok Choy

Pork Wontons + Bok Choy + Broccoli + Shrimp + Carrots + Celery

Pork balls + Wonton sheets + beef broth + Snow peas + chopped broccoli + Water chestnuts + baby corn + Chinese cabbage + Egg noodles

Regular wonton soup uses wontons with pork fillings with pork broth. Some of the variations used in a regular wonton soup are

Pork Wontons + pork broth + seasoning

Vegetable wontons + vegetable broth + soy sauce + seasoning

Ground chicken breast wontons + bok choy + Chicken broth + seasoning

Broth

Subgum Wonton Soup has a clear and flavourful broth because of the variety of vegetables, mushrooms, and seafood added to the meat broth.

Regular Wonton Soup has a milder broth texture, and you get the hit of seasonings like ginger and sesame oil in the broth.

Cooking Technique

Subgum Wonton Soup Cooking Technique

Combine wonton mixture ( meat filling with seasoning and sauces) in a bowl.
Bring the water, meat broth, salt, and sugar to a boil in a large pot and let it simmer.
Add the vegetables, celery, and mushrooms to the broth and simmer for ten more minutes.
Prepare the wontons while the vegetables are simmering, and add them to the pot.
Simmer for five more minutes and add the scallions, followed by five more minutes of simmer.
Add the required garnishings and serve hot.

Regular Wonton Soup Cooking Technique

Prepare the wonton mixture by combining pork, shrimp, rice wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger.
Let it rest for around 30 minutes.
Prepare the wontons, fill them, and seal them so they are ready for the soup.
Boil the chicken stock and let it simmer before adding the wontons
Season and garnish before serving.

Texture

Subgum Wonton Soup has a richer texture because of the variety of ingredients used in the broth.

Regular Wonton Soup has a milder texture because of its simple broth.

Regional Variations

Subgum Soup in America, China, and Taiwan is prepared with wontons stuffed with pork and chicken or meat broth. In Singapore and adjacent areas, seafood filling like crab meat is used instead of pork, and the broth is enriched with shellfish and other seafood ingredients.

Regular Wonton Soup that is prepared in America has a Cantonese touch to it with thinner wonton wrappers. Shanghai Wonton soup has thicker wonton wrappers with a predominantly eggless, vegan broth nature.

Nutritional Comparison

Subgum Wonton Soup Nutritional Information

Serving	Calories	Protein	Fat	Fibre	Carbohydrate
1 cup	280	21 gram	8 gram	2 gram	9 grams

Regular Wonton Soup Nutritional Information

Serving	Calories	Protein	Fat	Fibre	Carbohydrate
1 cup	227	13.4 gram	3.9 gram	0.3 gram	2.7 grams per dumpling

Cultural Significance

The Chinese immigrants from North America introduced Subgum Wonton Soup, representing an amalgamation of Western and Chinese Cuisine.

Regular Wonton Soup is an integral part of Southern and South Eastern China cuisine and represents the simplicity of Chinese cuisine.

Prepping and Cooking Time

Subgum Wonton Soup

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time	Course
45 minutes	40 minutes	55 minutes	The main course, side-dish

Regular Wonton Soup

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time	Course
15 minutes	30 minutes	40 minutes	side-dish

Pairing and Serving

Subgum Wonton Soup is a complete meal and does not need any pairing to work better. You can combine it with a side salad of fresh greens to complement it and add a crunch.

Wonton Soup is not a one-pot meal. Keeping this in mind, you can pair it with various breads, rice dishes, and noodles. Coconut rice, scallion pancakes, and Chinese egg noodles are some dishes that pair well with wonton soup. Other than that, egg rolls, spring rolls, steamed vegetables, and ribs also work with the soup.

Health Considerations

The health benefits of Subgum Wonton Soup are

It is filled with the goodness of vegetables and proteins
It is excellent for the digestive system
Because of its optimum calorie content, subgum wonton soup is an excellent choice for people trying to watch their weight.

All these said, it may not be an excellent choice for people with heart problems because of its variable sodium content.

The health benefits of Wonton soup are

It is soothing to the palette because of its mild and refreshing taste
The pork used in the wontons and broth is a great source of lean protein
It is a low-carb dish when consumed in moderate amounts

Despite its numerous health benefits, wonton wrappers and broth may contain sugars and Chinese condiments and should be avoided by Diabetics.

Storage

Subgum Wonton Soup can be preserved for three days in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer. You can use plastic bags or air-tight containers to store the soup.

Because of fewer ingredients, Wonton Soup can be preserved for a more extended period, i.e., 5-6 days in the fridge and approximately 4-6 months in the freezer.

Tabular Version

Characteristics	Subgum Wonton Soup	Regular Wonton Soup

Origin	America	China
Key Ingredients	Wontons, Meat Broth, vegetables, Mushrooms, Aromatics	Pork Wontons with broth
Traditional Version	Pork Wontons with vegetables and meat broth	Pork Wontons in a broth
Adapted Version	Using seafood instead of meat for wonton filling and broth	Using vegetable and cheese filling instead of meat for Wontons
Flavor	Rich, Umami flavor	Mild flavor with a hint of ginger and sesame oil
Seasoning	Salt, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, black pepper	Salt, sugar, lemon juice, chili garlic oil
Unique quality	One pot mealRefreshing texture	A mixture of health and taste It can be made in a gourmet and easy way
Combination	Wontons with mushroomsWontons with carrots and shrimp Wontons with chestnuts and egg noodles	Pork wontons with pork broth Vegetable wontons with vegetable brothChicken wontons with chicken broth
Broth	Clear and flavorful broth texture	Milder broth texture
Regional variations	In contrast to pork wontons used in China, Taiwan, and America, shrimp wontons used in Singapore and surrounding areas	In contrast to thin wonton wrappers used in America, thicker, eggless wrappers with vegan broth are preferred in Shanghai
Calories ( 1 cup )	280	227
Proteins ( 1 cup )	21 gram	13.4 gram
Carbs ( 1 cup )	9 gram	2.7 grams per dumpling
Fat ( 1 cup )	8 gram	3.9 gram
Fiber ( 1 cup )	2.7 gram	0.3 gram
Pairing	One pot meal or with a salad	Pairs well with bread, rice, and noodles
Cultural Significance	An amalgamation of American and Chinese cuisine	Authentic Chinese, Taiwanese Cuisine
Prepping time	45 minutes	15 minutes
Cooking Time	40 minutes	30 minutes
Total time	55 minutes	40 minutes
Dish	Main dish	Side dish
Health benefits	The goodness of veggies and proteins Great for digestion Good for weight loss	Soothing to palette Excellent source of lean protein Low-carb dish
Possible health problems	It should be consumed carefully by people with heart problems	It may not be suitable for people with diabetes because of its sugar content and Chinese condiments
Storage	Three days in a refrigerator and three months in a freezer	5-6 days in a refrigerator and 4-5 months in a freezer

Conclusion

Both Subgum wonton soup and Regular wonton soup are Chinese cuisines that are extremely popular because of their rich broth content and flavor. Knowing their nutritional content and ingredients will help you understand whether the dish will appeal to your taste buds and can be adapted per your dietary preferences.

Subgum Wonton vs. Regular Wonton Soup: Which is better?

What is Subgum Wonton Soup?