HYDERABAD: Around the third century AD, a great military strategist by the name Zhuge Liang was on his way back from battle in the Sichuan province in China when he came across an enormous logistical challenge for him and his army. He had successfully quashed a rebellion and defeated the rebel army threatening his kingdom but now faced the prospect of defeat by the elements.
He was stuck on the banks of a river which seemed impossible to cross. The river, a local barbarian said, was guarded by a deity who would not allow safe passage to him and his army until he threw the heads of fifty of his soldiers into the river as an offering. Stuck in a conundrum and wanting to satisfy the deity without losing his soldiers, Zhuge ordered his men to make 50 buns that looked like human heads and stuffed with meat to be thrown into the river. The deity seemingly loved this more than actual human heads and allowed the army to continue their journey home.
The resulting dish of buns was called “Mantou”. As time went by, Mantou referred to steamed bread buns without a filling but was usurped in popularity by its counterpart with fillings called “Bao” or “Baozi” as it is traditionally known.
Originating in Northern China, where the staple grain is wheat instead of rice, baos slowly spread throughout China and parts of Southern Asia including Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines and even Malaysia & Thailand.
Each region of China has its own version of baos, favourite fillings and their own regional twist to the ubiquitous bread-based dish where each region is fiercely proud of their version, much akin to the great biryani debate in India.
At the heart of it, the bao wrapper itself is made from a leavened dough consisting of wheat flour, water, milk and yeast, and stuffed with a filling of deliciously cooked spicy meat and vegetable and steamed till the wrapper is light and fluffy, almost like a bread consistency.
Traditional baos include the Char Siu Bao stuffed with delicious char siu or Chinese barbeque pork made in the Guangdong province and Hong Kong, The Gua Bao is a Taiwanese bao with a crispy pork filling, roasted peanuts and pickled mustard greens usually eaten for breakfast.
The Xiaolong bao is a broth filled dumpling native to Shanghai where the fluffy wheat wrapper is exchanged for a thin rice wrapper lending itself more to a Jiaozi or dim sum like consistency.
The Tausepau is a sweet version of the bao from the Hokkien speaking region in China where the bao is filled with a sweet bean paste.
The past decade has taken this humble snack from rural China and has placed it right in the centre of a culinary revolution. Being a versatile dish lending to experimentation and innovation, the bao is at home both at fine dining establishments across the world and at street side vendors alike.
Bao fillings from braised beef short rib and fried chicken in the UK, curry fillings in Malaysia and Singapore, to our very own butter chicken and ghee roast in India and some crazy dessert baos in the shape of animals and fruits, the soft & fluffy exterior makes every filling its own and tickles the taste buds of food lovers across the world.
Haiku, A Bao Time & Shoyu are some of the places where you can relish the best baos in town!