Baozi
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Baozi
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Baozi (Simplified Chinese: 包子; Traditional Chinese: 包子; Pinyin: Bāozi), often called bao, are yeast-leavened steamed buns enclosing savory or sweet fillings such as pork, vegetables, or bean paste. They are a daily Chinese staple across regions, sold in bamboo steamers at breakfast shops and restaurants.[1]
Characteristics
The bun should be fluffy and white (or browned if baked/roasted variants), with a juicy or cohesive filling. Sizes range from large meal buns to small snack bao; soup-filled relatives include Xiaolongbao and pan-fried Shengjianbao.
Ingredients (overview)
Wheat yeast dough and fillings such as minced pork with cabbage or chives, barbecue pork (char siu bao—see Char Siu flavors), or sweet pastes. Steaming is standard; some regional bao are baked.
History and culture
Filled steamed buns are foundational to Chinese wheat-food culture and breakfast economies. Unfilled steamed bread is treated separately as mantou (馒头)—see brief note below. Regional shapes and fillings are countless.
Serving and variations
Mantou note: Mantou are plain steamed wheat buns without filling, eaten as a staple carb in northern meals; this wiki prioritizes the filled baozi category here while mentioning mantou as the unfilled counterpart. For pan-fried Shanghai buns see Shengjianbao; for soup dumplings see Xiaolongbao.