At most Chinese-American restaurants, you can find Crab Rangoons and they are a hugely popular item. Also known as Crab Puffs, Crab Pillows, and Cheese Wontons, these are essentially fried wontons stuffed with cream cheese and imitation crab (or sometimes real crab). They are crunchy and creamy, and they are prepared nearly the same at every restaurant.
When and where did Crab Rangoons originate?
Most sources indicate that Crab Rangoons were likely invented by Victor Bergeron, the founder of Trader Vic’s, sometime in the 1950s. Fried wontons existed in the U.S. at least as far back as the 1930s. My own research tends to support that Bergeon was the inventor of Crab Rangoon, but that it was most likely created in the late 1940s, at least a few years earlier than many thought. And originally, it was called “Rangoon Crab,” with someone inverting the position of the term sometime in the mid-1950s.
The first reference I found to “Rangoon Crab” was in the San Francisco Chronicle (CA), May 15, 1950. The newspaper printed The Chronicle’s East Bay Dining Directory and there was a listing for Trader Vic’s, in Oakland, and one of the items that was “highly recommended” was their “Rangoon Crab.”
The popularity and ubiquitousness of Crab Rangoon continued to grow through the decades. A recipe from Trader Vic’s was found in the Minneapolis Star (MN), November 14, 1973. The ingredients, to make 30 crab Rangoon, included 1 pound of crab meat, 1 pound of cream cheese, dash of A-1 Sauce, dash of garlic powder, Won ton noodles squares, and 1 egg yolk beaten. The instructions stated, “Chop crab and blend with cheese and A-1 sauce; add garlic powder, salt and pepper; blend thoroughly. Put 1/2 tsp of mixture in center of noodle square; fold square over, corner-wise. Moisten edges slightly with beaten egg and twist together. Fry in deep fat until deliciously brown.”
Maybe Crab Rangoons are ready for some experimentation and alternatives. For example, at East of Suez, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, they make Goat Cheese Rangoon, from “Local NH farm goat cheese, seasoned with fresh herbs, enveloped in wonton skin & deep-fried crispy outside, melty inside; with sweet chili sauce dip.” These were fried perfectly, with a crunchy exterior, and the creamy goat cheese was a delight on the palate, enhanced by the sweet chili dip. They elevated the idea of Crab Rangoons.
What are your thoughts on Crab Rangoon?
SAMPAN, published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, is the only bilingual Chinese-English newspaper in New England, acting as a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area. It is published biweekly and distributed free-of-charge throughout metro Boston; it is also delivered to as far away as Hawaii.
