Baozi
Pumpkin bao | |
Alternative names | Bao, humbow, nunu, pau |
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Type | Filled steamed bread |
Place of origin | China |
Creator | Zhuge Liang |
Variations | Dabao, xiaobao |
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Baozi | |||||||||||||||
Chinese | 包å | ||||||||||||||
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A baozi (Chinese: 包å) or simply known as bao, bau, humbow, nunu, bakpao (Hokkien), bausak, pow, pau or pao (Hakka) is a type of steamed, filled, bun or bread-like (i.e. made with yeast) item in various Chinese cuisines, as there is much variation as to the fillings and the preparations. In its bun-like aspect it is very similar to the traditional Chinese mantou. It can be filled with meat and/or vegetarian fillings. In Japanese, the dish is known as "paozu".
Two types are found in most parts of China and Indonesia: Dà bÄo (大包, "big bun"), measuring about 10 cm across, served individually, and usually purchased for take-away. The other type, XiÇŽobÄo (å°åŒ…, "small bun"), measure approximately 5 cm 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 is provided for vinegar or soy sauce, both of which are available in bottles at the table, along with chili and garlic paste.
History
According to legend, they were invented by the Chinese scholar and military strategist Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period (3rd century AD).[1]
Types



English name | Chinese name Simplified / Traditional Pinyin |
Other names | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Cha siu bao, Charsiu bau | å‰çƒ§åŒ… / å‰ç‡’包 chÄshÄobÄo | manapua | filled with barbecue-flavoured char siu pork; typical of Cantonese cuisine (Guangdong province and Hong Kong) |
Goubuli baozi | ç‹—ä¸ç†åŒ…å gÇ’ubùlÇ bÄozi | a well known brand of meat-filled baozi considered characteristic of Tianjin, Northern China; its name literally means, "Baozi ignored by dogs" | |
Xiaolongbao | å°ç¬¼åŒ… / å°ç± 包 xiÇŽolóngbÄo | a small, meat-filled baozi from Shanghai containing a juicy broth. 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) | |
Shengjian mantou | 生煎馒头 / 生煎饅é shÄ“ngjiÄn mántou | a small, meat-filled, fried baozi from Shanghai | |
Tangbaozi | 汤包 / 湯包 tÄngbÄo | a large soup-filled baozi from Yangzhou drunk through a straw; in other areas of China, it is small in size with rich soup | |
Doushabao | 豆沙包 dòushÄbÄo | Hokkien: tÄu-se-pau | filled with sweet bean paste |
Lotus seed bun | 莲蓉包 liánróngbÄo | filled with sweetened lotus seed paste | |
Kaya-baozi | filled with Kaya, a popular jam made from coconut, eggs, and sometimes pandan in Malaysia and Singapore | ||
Naihuangbao | 奶黄包 / 奶黃包 nÇŽihuángbÄo | filled with sweet yellow custard filling | |
ShÄobÄo | 烧包 / 燒包 shÄobÄo | Spanish: siópao; Philippine: siyopaw | steamed, filled with either chicken, pork, shrimp or salted egg |
Zhimabao | èŠéº»åŒ… zhÄ«mabÄo | steamed, filled with a black sesame paste | |
Yacaibao (Beansprout-bao) | 芽èœåŒ… Yácà ibÄo | steamed, filled with a type of pickle, spices and possibly other vegetables or meat, common in Sichuan, China | |
Bah-pau | 肉包 ròubÄo | Hokkien: Bah-pau | filled with pork |
Big Pau | 大包 dà bÄo | large buns filled with pork, eggs and other ingredients |
Culture
In many Chinese cultures, these buns are a popular food, and widely available. 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 is has also become common place throughout various regions of South East Asia due to longstanding Chinese immigration.
- Due to the long history of Chinese overseas diaspora in Malaysia, 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. Due to the Muslim beliefs of most Malays, 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 name of "Bakpao". Excluding existing meat filling, local variants include: chocolate, sweet potato, and marmalade filling.
- In the Philippines, their version of Baozi is called Siopao brought by Chinese immigrants (Sangleys) prior to Spanish colonialism. A Filipino siopao filing contains Meatball, Philippine adobo, flaked tuna and pork, and sometimes chocolate and cheese.
- A similar concept is also present in Thailand as they are called salapao.
See also
- Bánh bao, the Vietnamese equivalent
- Buuz, the Mongolian equivalent
- Dampfnudel, the German equivalent
- Empanada
- Jiaozi
- Khinkali
- Kreplach
- List of buns
- List of steamed foods
- Manapua, the Hawaiian equivalent
- Mandu, the Korean equivalent
- manty/mantı (Turkic) Turkish, Persian, and Pukhtoon cuisines
- Mantou Chinese steamed bread without filling
- Momo, the Nepalese and Tibetan equivalent
- Nikuman (and Chūkaman), the Japanese variants
- Pao, the Malagasy equivalent
- Pirozhki
- Ravioli
- Wonton
Notes
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