Baozi (Chinese: ), or simply bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often made from wheat flour and steamed. They are a variation of mantou from Northern China.
Baozi are popular throughout China and have even made their way into the cuisines of many other countries through the Chinese diaspora.
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History and etymology
Baozi were originally called mantou, and may be related to the Central Asian dumpling manti.
During the Western Jin Dynasty (266–316), Shu Xi wrote about dumplings and other wheat-based foods (at the time called bing), which he believed were from the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) or later. He described mantou as large meat-filled dumplings eaten at spring banquets. Other early sources mention the use of mantou in rituals.
In the Tang dynasty (618–907), mantou were small leavened filled buns eaten as dianxin. In the Song dynasty (960–1279), mantou could have a variety of fillings (meat, poultry, fish, vegetables) and were said to be a common snack for students. During this period, baozi emerged as an alternate word for mantou, and subsequently mantou could also be used for unfilled buns. According to a legend first recorded in the Song dynasty, Zhuge Liang invented mantou to substitute for human heads in a sacrifice to gods. In the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), court recipes for baozi and mantou included Central Asian elements with fillings such as lamb, onions, ginger, and chenpi.
By the Qing dynasty (1664–1911), the words had settled into their modern meanings: bing are baked or steamed wheat cakes, baozi are buns with fillings, mantou are steamed buns without fillings, and jiao are thin-skinned dumplings with fillings. There is some regional variation in usage, mainly near Shanghai where small filled steamed dumplings are called mantou in Wu Chinese.
The Legend
There was a legend about a man named Zhuge Liang who was a military leader in China. For the barbarians to let him use this bridge, he had to sacrifice 50 of his soldiers and throw their heads into the river. Instead, in a clever deception, he fooled the barbarians by tossing 50 baos that looked like human heads into the river.
Outside of China
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 has also become commonplace throughout various regions of Northeast Asia with cultural and ethnic relationships, as well as Southeast Asia and outside Asia due to longstanding Chinese immigration.
In Buryatia and Mongolia, variants of the recipe, often with beef or lamb, are known as buuz and buuza.
In Malaysia, given the long history of the Chinese diaspora in Malaysia before the British colonial times, the Malays have adopted these buns (called pau in Malay) as their own with halal fillings particularly with curry (potato, chicken, or beef) similar to curry puffs; some variants have a quail egg in the middle, in addition. Other variations include sweet fillings of coconut jam (kaya) or red bean paste. These pau can be found sold in stalls by the roadside, at night markets, highway rest stops, and pasar Ramadan (Ramadan food bazaars).
In Indonesia, the dish has also 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 fillings. 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.
In the Netherlands, due to the influence from Indonesia, supermarkets typically stock what the Dutch refer to as bapao—or occasionally, bakpao. It is easy to find frozen bapao or bakpao—or, in larger supermarkets, refrigerated versions—wrapped in plastic and ready to be heated in the microwave. The most common filling is chicken, although pork, beef, and vegetarian variants are also widely available. This food is classified as a quick snack or a fast-food item. Freshly baked versions of this steamed bun do not constitute a staple food in the Netherlands, except within the country's resident Chinese community.