Bao Buns (pronounced “bow”), but also known as a 'steamed buns' or 'baozi' 包子, are a delicious, warm, fluffy treat of stuffing wrapped inside a sweet, white dough.
As mentioned before Bao Buns are also commonly referred to as “bao, bay, pow, pau, paoare, Mantou, baozi, humbow, nunu, bakpao, bausak, however the most common terminology will be Bao or Steamed Buns. These soft delicious Chinese treats have been in existence for hundreds of years!
Mantou (馒头), Chinese steamed buns.
Bao or Baozi are said to have been invented in China during the 3rd century by a military strategist called Zhuge Liang [181-234]. They were first named Mantou but over time they began to be referred to as baozi or bao meaning to wrap in Mandarin.
Bánh bao (literally "dumplings") is a Vietnamese bun based on the Cantonese da bao (大包, literally "big bun") brought to Vietnam by Cantonese immigrants. It is a ball-shaped bun containing pork or chicken meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables, in Vietnamese cuisine.
Nikuman is the Japanese name for the Chinese baozi (包子,肉包), also known as Chūka Man (中華まん). These steamed buns are made from flour dough and filled with meat and other ingredients. In western Japan (西日本) including Osaka, they are called Buta Man (豚まん).
Liv Wan is a former professional chef who has published three cookbooks about Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine. Chinese buns and bread already have a 1,600-year-old history in Chinese cuisine. There are mainly two types of Chinese bread and buns, one being baozi (包子) and the other being mantou (饅頭).
The Bao (“Bun”) developed in Chinese culture as a filled form of 'Mantou', a plain steamed dumpling which is often compared to bread.
Use your chopsticks and soup spoon
Luckily, you are always given a soup spoon. It enables you to get the dim sum, take small bites, sip the filling, and eat the remains. Alternatively, you can eat the whole xiao long bao in one bite, but doing this may not be polite.
Chinese Steamed Pork Buns (包子 - Baozi) - The Woks of Life.
Char siu bao (simplified Chinese: 叉烧包; traditional Chinese: 叉燒包; pinyin: chāshāo bāo; Cantonese Yale: chā sīu bāau) is a Cantonese baozi (bun) filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork. They are served as a type of dim sum during yum cha and are sometimes sold in Chinese bakeries.
Steamed buns (mantou)
The original Chinese bread, these pillowy buns are made with a yeasted dough and steamed in large trays to stay soft and warm. Traditionally mantou is plain, but these days you can find plenty of new incarnations, including green onion, sweet potato or brown sugar.
Mantou, baozi, bao, bau, humbow, nunu, bakpao, bausak, pow, pau, or paoare. You probably know them better as steamed buns. These soft, pillowy Chinese treats that have been around for hundreds of years, are eaten by hand, and can be either savory or sweet.
Char Siu Bao (Steamed BBQ Pork Buns) Fluffy steamed buns filled with a savory, and slightly sweet and oozing char siu pork filling–it's everything you would want from char siu bao and brings back memories of my dad buying these little pieces of heaven for me as a kid along with the Filipino version, siopao asado.
The word “bao”（煲） is a Cantonese word, meaning “boil” and “boiler”.
Known as jiaozi to the Chinese or gyoza to the Japanese - the dumpling is a popular Asian cuisine to many, regularly consumed and enjoyed.
Steamed bao buns are, traditionally, a Chinese invention derived from the Northern Chinese “mantou.” However, they have taken on a new life in Taiwanese cuisine in the form of a wildly popular fast food meal. Generally, you'll find a Taiwanese bao bun stuffed with everything from meat to veggies.
Mantou (馒头) is a plain steamed bun with no filling and is considered one of the most popular foods in Chinese cuisine. It is traditionally made with wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast, and oil.
The birthday bun is also known as the shou bao (say “s-ow b-ow”) or longevity peach. It is a steamed bun with lotus seed filling made into the shape of a peach. Cantonese people give it on birthdays as a wish for many more birthdays in the future.
Origin of Bao Buns
Bao originated in Northern China and dated back to the Three Kingdoms period in the third century. Some argue that evidence of these buns can be traced back as far as 400 BC. There is a more extensive story about how Zhuge Liang created bao as a military strategy.
While both are known to be light and fluffy on the outside and can have a pork mince filling on the inside, the main difference is in the seasoning and added ingredients. Vietnamese baos use fish sauce and have their iconic quail eggs and Chinese sausages in the center whereas Chinese baos use five spice.
Bao are thought to have originated in China's Three Kingdoms period, around the third century (although some historians believe they were around for much longer, with references to a similar-sounding delicacy dating back to 400 BC).