Two types are found in most parts of China: Dàbāo (大包, "big bun"), measuring about ten centimetres (four inches) across, served individually, and usually purchased for take-away. The other type, Xiǎobāo (小包, "small bun"), measures approximately five centimetres (two inches) wide, and are most commonly eaten in restaurants, but may also be purchased for take-away. Each order consists of a steamer containing between three and ten pieces. A small ceramic dish for dipping the baozi is provided for
vinegar or
soy sauce, both of which are available in bottles at the table, along with various types of chili and garlic pastes, oils or infusions, fresh
coriander and
leeks,
sesame oil, and other flavorings.
Baozi are popular throughout China and have made their way into the cuisines of many other countries through the
Chinese diaspora.
History and etymology
Written records from the
Song dynasty show the term baozi in use for filled buns.[2][3] Prior to the
Northern Song Dynasty (960–1279), the word mantou was used for both filled and unfilled buns.[4] According to legend, the filled baozi is a variation of manta invented by military strategist
Zhuge Liang.[5] Over time mantou came to indicate only unfilled buns in
Mandarin and some
varieties of Chinese, although the
Wu Chinese languages continue to use mantou to refer to both filled and unfilled buns.[citation needed]
a small, meat-filled baozi from
Shanghai containing an
aspic that reverts to a juicy
broth when cooked. Because it is succulent and prepared only with thin, partially leavened dough, it is sometimes considered different from other bao types, and more closely resembles a
jiaozi (dumpling).
large buns filled with pork, eggs and other ingredients
Crisp Stuffed Bun
破酥包 poshubao
A
lard-layered bun with pork, lard,
bamboo shoot, and soy sauce; or with the filling of
Yunnan ham and white sugar or brown sugar. Crisp Stuffed Bun was created by a chef from
Yuxi almost a hundred years ago.[citation needed]
A
Uyghur specialty, cooked in
tandoor instead of steaming it. Usually filled with
lamb, potatoes, and spices.
Gua bao
Gua bao (割包/刈包, koah-pau, 虎咬豬/虎咬猪, hó͘-kā-ti) originated as
Fujianesestreet food. Unlike other types of Bao, Gua Bao is made by folding over the flat steamed dough and is thus open. Designed to fit easily in your hands and has a wide variety of fillings.
Outside of China
In many
Chinese cultures, these buns are a popular
food, and widely available.[1] While they can be eaten at any
meal, baozi are often eaten for
breakfast. They are also popular as a portable snack or meal.
The dish has also become common place throughout various regions of
Northeast Asia with cultural and ethnic relationships, as well as
Southeast Asia and outside Asia due to long standing Chinese immigration.
In
Buryatia and
Mongolia, the variants of the recipe, often with beef or lamb, are known as buuz and buuza.[6][7]
Given the long history of the Chinese diaspora in
Malaysia way before the British colonial years of
British Malaya times, the Malays have adopted these buns as their own. A particularly Malay form of the baozi (called pau in Malay) is filled with potato curry, chicken curry, or beef curry that are similar to the fillings of Malay
curry puffs. Some variants have a
quail egg in the middle, in addition to the curry. Other variations include
Kaya (jam) or red bean paste as the filling. Due to the high number of
Muslims in Malaysia, these buns are
halal and contain no pork. One can find Malay stalls selling the buns by the roadside, at pasar malams (night markets), highway rest stops, and pasar Ramadans (
Ramadan food bazaars).
Similarly, in
Indonesia the dish has been adopted into
Indonesian cuisine through the integration of Chinese culture. It has been adopted through the
Hokkien language name of bakpau or bakpao. In addition to meat fillings, local variants include: chocolate, sweet potato, and marmalade filling. Bakpau is found in Indonesia as a take away food sold by cart street hawkers. Bakpau in Indonesia is usually sold in dabao size (lit.: "big pau"), around 10 cm in diameter. To accommodate the dietary restrictions of Indonesia's
Muslim majority, the original pork filling has been replaced with minced
beef, diced
chicken, or even sweet
mung bean paste and
red bean paste. Pau with non-meat fillings are still called bakpau by Indonesians, despite the lack of meat. It is usually served with
sweet chili sauce.
Due to influence from Indonesia, supermarkets in the
Netherlands commonly have in stock what the Dutch call bapao or sometimes bakpao. One can easily find frozen or sometimes in the bigger supermarkets cooled bapao/bakpao wrapped in plastic, ready-made to be heated inside a
microwave. The most prevalent filling is chicken, although there are also pork, beef, and vegetarian variants widely available. This food is categorized as a quick snack or a fast-food item. Freshly baked forms of this steamed bun are however not a staple food item in the Netherlands outside of the Chinese community living there.
In the
Philippines, their version of baozi is called siopao brought by Chinese immigrants (Sangleys) prior to Spanish colonialism.[8][9] Varieties of Filipino siopao fillings include barbecued pork,
meatballs, flaked tuna, and sometimes chocolate and cheese.
A similar concept is also present in
Thailand, called salapao (ซาลาเปา).
Baozi is also very popular in
Japan where it's known as chūkaman (中華まん, "Chinese steamed bun"). Nikuman (肉まん; derived from 肉饅頭, nikumanjū) is the Japanese name for Chinese baozi with meat fillings. Chūkaman are steamed and often sold as street food. During
festivals, they are frequently sold and eaten. From about August or September, through the winter months until roughly the beginning of April, chūkaman are available at
convenience stores, where they are kept hot. It's also available as chilled food in supermarket and a part of usual food.
In Korea, where it's known as hoppang, it is a warm snack sold throughout
South Korea. It is a convenience food version of jjinppang (steamed bread), typically filled with smooth, sweetened red bean paste and also commonly sold stuffed with vegetables and meat, pizza toppings, pumpkin, or buldak.
In Cambodia, baozi is called num pao (នំប៉ាវ). It is a popular street food in
Cambodia and is made from wheat flour, sometimes with the addition of milk and lemon juice, filled with a savoury, spicy or sweet filling. Savoury fillings are usually made from pork and different vegetables.[10]
Bánh bao is the
Vietnamese version of the Cantonese tai bao that was brought over by Chinese immigrants.
The Myanmar version is called pauk-si (
ပေါက်စီ)[11][12] and is a popular snack available in almost every traditional tea shops.
In
Mauritius, many Mauritian dishes are influenced by
Sino-Mauritians;[13] this includes baozi which is simply referred as "pao" (sometimes written as "pow" or "paw").[14][15][16] They can either be savoury (i.e. typically filled with
Chinese sausage, poultry,
black mushroom and
soy egg; or
filled with cha siu) or sweet (i.e. filled with sweet paste).[14][17] They are very popular among Mauritian families[14] and continues to remain an omnipresent part of Sino-Mauritian culture.[15]
^Getty.
"Close-Up Of chinese origin meat dumplings, aka buuz or buzza or..."Getty Images.
Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-13. Close-Up of chinese origin meat dumplings, aka buuz or buzza or manti, a popular dish in Buryatia Republic (Russia) and russian Siberia regions or among Central Asian countries.