Its hot, crunchy, rich decadence has graced the menus of restaurants for over 70 years. It makes TikToker foodies sing (via Today). Crab rangoon is a dish with a lot of cultural history. For some, it’s an appetizer, and for others, it’s a treat. This wonton filled with crab and cream cheese was first made as an experiment at a tiki bar. Now it’s the classic cocktail appetizer that foodies can’t get enough of.
The story of crab rangoon goes far beyond being a twist on a classic fried wonton. What is the dish on this American Chinese food that is so good at parties? And why has it become so popular again on TikTok? Keep reading to find out the real truth about crab rangoon. The answers might surprise you. There are a lot of myths about this dish, even though it can be found on Chinese menus in almost every part of the United States.
Crab Rangoon. The crispy, creamy dumplings are a staple appetizer on Chinese-American restaurant menus across the United States. But with their wonton wrappers enveloping a filling of cream cheese and crab, they’re unlikely to be found in China. So how did Crab Rangoon get its name and become so popular in American Chinese cuisine?
A Misleading Moniker
The name “Crab Rangoon” contains a major geographical incongruity. Rangoon refers to Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Yet Crab Rangoon has no connection to Burmese cuisine.
Calling the dumplings “rangoon” seems to have been an orientalized marketing ploy by the dumplings’ creator It evoked images of the exotic Far East to curious American diners in the 1950s,
The True Origins
While their name may be inauthentic, most food historians trace the invention of Crab Rangoon back to Victor Bergeron, founder of the famous Polynesian-themed restaurant chain Trader Vic’s.
Bergeron himself or his chef Joe Young likely developed the appetizer in the 1950s. They experimented with wonton wrappers and stuffings, eventually landing on the winning combination of cream cheese and crab meat. The crispy deep fried dumplings became a signature appetizer at Trader Vic’s polynesian restaurant in Oakland.
Bergeron then bestowed the dumplings with the exotic-sounding name “Rangoon Crab.” The appetizer does not actually have any connection to Burmese cuisine.
A Chinese-American Classic is Born
However, Trader Vic’s was not the only tiki restaurant around. Soon, competing polynesian-style restaurants copied Bergeron’s invention and spread Crab Rangoon all over America.
Within a couple decades, the dumplings made the jump from tiki bars to Chinese-American restaurants. Diners came to expect and love Crab Rangoon on Chinese menus nationwide.
The cream cheese and crab filling resonated with American tastes. And the crispy fried wonton wrappers added an irresistable textural contrast. The dumplings were an ingenious culinary hybrid between Chinese technique and American flavors.
Although native to neither Chinese or Burmese cuisine, Crab Rangoon has become one of the most iconic offerings of Chinese-American restaurants today. Generations of Americans have delighted in the crunchy cream cheese wontons, even if their exotic name makes little sense.
Why Rangoon?
While Crab Rangoon was invented in America, not Myanmar, the name still begs explanation. Why dignify a Chinese-American dish with the name of a city over 7000 miles away?
Most likely, Victor Bergeron chose the name “Rangoon Crab” to conjure images of tropical exoticism and appeal to American customers. His restaurant Trader Vic’s was one of the pioneers of 1950s-era tiki culture – evoking romanticized visions of island life in the South Pacific through décor and rum cocktails.
By naming his new appetizer after a city in far-off Burma, Bergeron continued the theme of tropical exoticism. For Americans in the 1950s, the name “Rangoon” sounded exciting and oriental. Much more enticing than “San Francisco Crab Cream Cheese Wontons” ever could.
The name “Rangoon Crab” sparked customers’ curiosity and set their imaginations roaming to distant lands in the orient. Of course, authentic Burmese food bears no relation to Crab Rangoon. But for the dumplings’ pioneer Victor Bergeron, geographical accuracy was secondary to capturing diners’ imaginations. The exotic name “Rangoon Crab” did just that.
Evolution to Crab Rangoon
Originally christened “Rangoon Crab” on menus, at some point over the decades the appetizer’s name flip-flopped to the now standard “Crab Rangoon.” Likely this name change came about simply because it trips more easily off the tongue.
By the time Chinese-American restaurants adopted the dumplings from tiki bars in the 1970s, “Crab Rangoon” had become the conventional name. The new name showcased the starring ingredient of crab, while still retaining the dash of tropical exoticism from “Rangoon.”
An Inauthentic Appetizer, An Authentic American Classic
Though its name geographically misses the mark, Crab Rangoon has become an iconic staple of Chinese-American cuisine. The dumplings exemplify how immigrants adapted their cooking techniques to appeal to American tastes.
Wonton wrappers collided with cream cheese and crab filling to create an appetizer hybridized from two culinary cultures. Crab Rangoon emerged as a beloved dish as unique to America as apple pie or fried chicken.
So don’t be fooled by the name. Crab Rangoon may not be authentically Chinese or Burmese, but it has a distinctive history as a cherished Chinese-American specialty. The creamy, crispy dumplings have justly earned a place in America’s culinary pantheon.
It has its roots in tiki culture
Even though humans have been frying up food for centuries, crab rangoon isnt as old as you might think. In the 1940s, Americans became obsessed with the tropical, laid-back, island-style vibes associated with tiki culture. Veterans who had served in the Pacific theater in World War II returned home with a hunger for something that reminded them of their time in the Tropics (via ArcadiaPublishing.com). Tiki culture wasnt really authentic at all, but it sparked an interest in all things Polynesian.
According to Atlas Obscura, the most likely inventor of crab rangoon is Victor Bergeron, who founded Trader Vics Tiki Restaurant and Bar, which opened in the mid-1930s and helped spark the tiki trend. Vics granddaughter told the publication that he began experimenting with frying different ingredients in wonton wrappers sometime in the 1940s. The restaurants version of the appetizer is a little different from the one youll likely find at the Chinese takeout spot on the corner: it uses real crab instead of crab sticks and is seasoned with A1 sauce.
American Chinese food has a somewhat checkered past
Even though crab rangoon was made by an American restaurant owner in the 1950s, it is still influenced by Asian-American culture and can be found on the menus of many American Chinese restaurants across the country.
The history of American Chinese food goes back to the late 1840s, when the Gold Rush brought in an influx of immigrants from all over the globe (via Library of Congress). In 1882, legislation was passed to make immigration more difficult, meaning fewer Chinese immigrants could come into the United States (via Archives.gov).
But there was a loophole that (thankfully) didnt get patched — the restrictive immigration laws allowed Chinese people to migrate to America if they were restaurateurs. Thus, the 1900s saw a major increase in Chinese restaurants (via Atlas Obscura). This is when Chinese cooks began to create the Americanized hybrid dishes we associate with American Chinese food today. The cuisine makes generous use of deep-frying and white sugar, both of which are essential for crab rangoon and its sticky-sweet dipping sauce.
What does the “rangoon” mean in crab rangoon?
What is a crab rangoon?
Crab Rangoon, sometimes called crab puffs, crab rangoon puffs, cheese wontons, or cream cheese rangoons, are filled crisp dumpling appetizers served primarily in American Chinese restaurants.
What to eat with crab Rangoons?
Spicy Cajun crab rangoons combine the original ingredients with sausage, cilantro, and Rotel, while crab rangoon nachos take all the fillings and put them atop fried wonton chips. You could easily turn crab rangoon into a warm dip served with the same chips, or stuff the filling into bread for a decadent grilled cheese sandwich.
Does Chinese eat crab rangoon?
Since its introduction in the 1950s, Crab Rangoon has become a staple at almost every Chinese restaurant in the US. Usually served with a sweet and sour sauce, with a hint of chili, the dish is an American favorite. Even the more traditional Chinese restaurants include it on their menus. Do They Use Real Crab in Crab Rangoon?
What is the difference between Chinese crab rangoon and imitation crab?
The most common difference is the crab, which modern restaurants often swap for imitation crab to cut down on costs. If you don’t know what imitation crab is, that’s its own slightly unappetizing story . [h/t Atlas Obscura] Crab rangoon isn’t Chinese—and it may not contain real crab.