Jackie Lau continues to make char siew buns, beautiful round pillows stuffed with rich red honey barbecue pork, the color of joy and prosperity, that her husband Jerry has been making for even longer.
But what about the buns themselves? In China it began with mantou for centuries.
“It was just steamed dough,” Jerry Lau told me. “People were eating it for breakfast without anything else, like porridge.”
However, some time later, taxidermy versions took northern China by storm.
Legends vary about their invention, but according to Jackie Lau, the modern version was invented by an enterprising chef sometime in the 19th century.
“He owned a barbecue joint and used to make char siew just like we make it,” she says.
“He took a bite of the chashu, then a bite of the bun, and thought, ‘What if we put this in a bun and steamed it?'” her husband added. “Then people liked it so much that he started selling it on the street.”
Wheat is the staple food crop from which this dish originated, and while wheat flour is the main ingredient used to make bao’s characteristic fluffy bread, lausu uses a mixture of other flours as well. Yeast is used to ferment it, and a small amount of sugar is used to give it a slight sweetness. After fermentation, it is divided into small pieces, stuffed with pork and steamed. Moon Wok’s dim sum menu comes in threes and is sure to satisfy, especially during happy hour.
Although delicious to enjoy sitting down, the bao is convenient to carry. This is a factor that contributed to the spread and evolution of this dish in many countries where Chinese immigrants landed.
“It’s beautiful that all these countries have incorporated it into their own culture,” says Jerry Lau of this humble dish’s formidable international pedigree. “And I get great satisfaction every time I see my customers bite into the bread and enjoy it.”
Read below for some of the different takes and where you can find them.
Moon Wok Kitchen & Lounge: 11701 International Drive, Orlando, 407-778-1700; instagram.com/moonwokkitchen)
Banh Bao (Vietnam)
Cecilia Nguyen of Mills Market remembers making banh bao with her mother. This is an evolution of the classic Vietnamese dish and is traditionally stuffed with ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, onions, Chinese sausage, and quail eggs. (At Mills Market, a quarter egg may be used instead of a chicken egg.)
“We do our best,” she says. “I still remember making different designs and flower shapes and putting sausages inside the petals.”
Years later, when she and restaurateur Johnny Tan got married, she brought it to the table at a gathering with her Taiwanese family.
“Everyone had so much fun. It was a really special memory.”
The same goes for the banh baos sold daily at Mills Market, a holdover from the space’s time as part of Thien Hung Market, where each loaf is lovingly made by the same matriarch who has been selling banh baos for decades at her bakery here and beyond.
“When she sold us the market, she wanted to continue that tradition, and so did I. We get fresh fish from her almost every day and steam it around 10 a.m.,” Nguyen recalls.
This means if you want it straight from your cart, you’ll need to arrive around 10:30am. If you can’t do that, don’t worry. These big, fluffy buns are available all day right out of the carrying case. And they are very popular.
“This is the perfect, quick-to-eat, hearty snack,” she says. “It’s not a hassle to eat. It’s perfect when you’re hungry or busy.”
And a beautiful tradition.
“We all fall into the Asian category and know about baozi, but the way I was taught how to make them and the way it was passed down to me is different,” Nguyen says, citing a feel-good scene in a movie where people gather to make dumplings or baozi.
Why is it always part of the movie? Because *it’s a thing!* Making new memories with old traditions. It’s special. ”
Mills Market: 1110 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando. millsmarket.com
Guabao (Taiwan)
These Taiwanese “tacos,” which Americans may first think of when they hear the word bao, also evolved from originals in northern China, where they were transformed in China’s Fujian province to create those distinctive bivalve buns for a higher protein intake, and then spread as a hugely popular street food in Taiwan.
Hot Asian Buns are slowly gaining popularity in Sanford
In metro Orlando, popular spots like Bao King, The Bao Spot, and Hot Asian Buns sell all kinds of fusion cuisine to eager customers. From Korean short ribs to Cuban lechon to Florida’s fried grouper, gua bao may be the most international of the sensational snacks that have already traveled the world.
The Bao Spot: 54 W. Church St., Orlando; 407-286-2225; baosportorlando.com
Hot Asian Buns: 204 S. Sanford Ave. in Sanford, 321-363-3075; facebook.com/HotAsianBunsFoodTruck; instagram.com/hot_asian_buns
King Bao: 710 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-237-0013; king-bao.menu-world.com
Manapua (Hawaii)
Oh Hawaii, there are so many reasons to love you. Beautiful beaches, whale attacks, and blazing volcanoes aside, the melting pot of cultures surrounded by enchanting islands definitely produces some of the tastiest.
Chinese immigrants are just one facet of Hawaiian cuisine, but it’s thanks to them that we appreciate manapua, the bao’s big, bold Polynesian cousin. It’s a place that Sydney Nguyen fell in love with after visiting many times.
Moakai brings Ononui to Hawaiian-style diner | Review
“Manapua is a true Hawaiian staple with roots in Chinese plantation history,” she says. In fact, Nguyen makes the manapua fresh every morning at Moa Kai Hawaiian Diner in Orlando’s Mills 50 district. “It’s sold from bakeries to gas stations.”
In Hawaii, baozi are larger, a little denser, and a little sweeter due to the influence of the region’s breads. Sesame oil may also add richness.
Moakai is loaded with slow-cooked chashu.
Moa Kai Hawaiian Diner: 2217 E. Colonial Drive in Orlando, 407-270-7916; moakaidiner.com
Nikuman (Japan)
In Japan, when I visited Yokohama Chinatown, I saw one adorable meat bun after another. The pandas were stuffed with sesame paste, and the pigs were stuffed with (you guessed it) pork. While you won’t find a cute version at JINYA Ramen Bar in Orlando’s Thornton Park neighborhood and Oviedo, you can find a delicious traditional take on this Japanese bao.
“Nikuman is a flavorful steamed bun stuffed with seasoned pork and wrapped in pillow-soft, fluffy dough. Every bite delivers warmth, heartiness, and undeniable comfort from perfectly steamed, handcrafted buns,” says Yu Takahashi, CEO and Founder of JINYA Ramen Bar.
Violent “captivity” of the Indochinese manchow
“Typically seasoned with ingredients such as garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil, the pork is savory and aromatic. The slightly sweet dough balances the richness of the filling, making the bun hearty and approachable.”
JINYA Ramen Bar: 8 N. Summerlin Ave., 407-704-1825 in Orlando and 34 E. Mitchell Hammock Road, 321-765-7077 in Oviedo. jinyaramember.com
Siopao (Philippines)
There are many Filipino restaurants around the metro that serve siopao, the country of 7,000 islands’ take on a Chinese classic. Like Hawaii and Vietnam, the Philippines is well known for its gastronomy, which was born out of colonization.
The Chinese arrived here around the same time as the Spaniards, and their char siu bao flourished.
Here, the size is a little larger and the taste of the filling is more Filipino. Sweet pastes such as ube and green beans are also popular.
At The Baker’s Son in Kissimmee, it’s made fresh every morning when the dough and starter come together, then let rest for 30 minutes to develop flavor and texture.
“After we mix the dough, we cut it, roll it, and fill it with our homemade pork and chicken adobo filling,” says Irvin Valerio. “Then we let it ferment for two to three hours and steam it. This is the process that creates the soft, pillowy parcels that everyone is looking for.”
Comes in a pack of 3 in a cooler, ready to go.
The Baker’s Son: 797 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee, 689-610-1965; thebakersonusa.com
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