What Is Bao? An In-Depth Look at This Popular Asian Dish

Of the wide array of delicious Chinese food dishes, dumplings are undoubtedly a favorite. In China, various types of dumplings occupy a culinary as well as cultural importance; they are consumed at festivals and represent concepts like reunion or health and wealth. They’re a featured food during Chinese New Year, and it’s commonly believed that they are shaped to look like an ingot, or ancient Chinese currency.

One of the most beloved types of dumplings is bao, a versatile steamed bun that dates back centuries. Although a lot of people use the word dumpling and bao interchangeably, bao is distinct in that it is fluffier than a traditional dumpling. Its dough includes yeast whereas dumplings typically do not.

The word “dumpling” can correspond to different types of doughy foods. They can be closed and pinched together, open on the ends, crunchy or chewy, stuffed with something sweet or savory, or even filled with soup.

Read on to find out more about this fan favorite.

What Is Bao?

If your introduction to bao came via the 2018 Disney-Pixar short film “Bao”—in which a Chinese mother who’s a recent empty-nester finds company in a dumpling that comes to life—don’t worry. You might not be a hard-core foodie, but your tastebuds will thank you for finding out about a treasured food through that Academy Award-winning short.

Bao is a steamed bun with a sweet or savory filling, and it’s usually pinched close at the top. You’re unlikely to find mention of bao without also finding the word “pillowy,” as bao resembles bread more than it resembles a more dense dumpling

Bao dates back to the third century, its invention usually credited to military strategist Zhuge Liang. Legend says that Zhuge threw 50 buns into a river to deceive a deity that was guarding it, tricking the deity into believing Zhuge had thrown in human heads as an offering. The “heads” were called mantou, and later, when the dough was filled with meats and vegetables, it became known as bao.

Types of Bao

Bao is most often filled with pork, but almost anything can go inside. They can be sweet or savory, stuffed with meat, or made vegetarian.

Bao is often eaten as a breakfast food in China and is great for busy mornings, as it makes for an easy on-the-go meal. Though the buns themselves take a little too long to make in the morning before a busy day, they’re simple to make ahead of time so you can grab one on the way out the door every day that week.

Meat Bao

A variety of meats are used in bao, with an array of different sauces and spices.

A couple of favorites using pork include cha siu bao and sheng Jian bao. Cha siu bao is made with barbeque pork and is like China’s version of a pulled pork sandwich, while sheng Jian bao is often referred to as pan-fried pork buns and is fried rather than steamed.

Shaobao is filled with chicken or shrimp. Xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, is filled with various meats and a juicy broth. The broth starts as a pork aspic, a savory gelatinous mixture that enables it to be wrapped in dough and then turns to liquid when cooked.

Non-Meat Bao

Bao can be just as delicious when made without meat. One vegetarian option is vegan char siu bao, a popular alternative to pork siu bao that uses jackfruit in place of the pork. Cai bao is another option filled with various vegetables.

A non-meat soup version is tangbaozi, which is bigger than the average bao and filled with a savory broth. It would be messy to take a bite of this bao, so the broth is sipped through a straw and the bun is eaten afterward.

Sweet Bao

Bao itself is a little on the sweet side, making it a natural for dessert-like fillings.

These fillings are often paste fillings like doushabao, a sweet bean paste that can be made with azuki, mung, navy or soybeans. Lianrongbao is filled with lotus seed paste, which is similar to sweet bean paste but considered a bit more decadent because lotus seeds are more expensive than beans. The dried seeds are ground and mixed with oil and sugar to form a paste.

Zhimabao is filled with black sesame paste, a Chinese staple in desserts. The roasted sesame seeds give the bao a nutty flavor.

Then there are jam and custard fillings. Kaya baozi is one of the sweetest bao, filled with a jam made of coconut and egg. Nai huang bao is filled with a sweet custard made up of corn flour, custard powder, butter, sugar and vanilla.

How to Make Bao

The ingredients to make bao are simple—flour, water, sugar, yeast, and a little cooking oil.

A standard recipe will usually call for about four cups of flour; two teaspoons each of yeast and sugar; two tablespoons of a mild cooking oil like vegetable or sunflower oil; and about a cup of water or milk.

1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and oil

Alternatively, mix yeast, sugar, and water first, then add to dry ingredients when yeast becomes foamy, about 5-10 minutes.

2. Knead until dough is smooth

Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let dough sit until it has doubled in size. Knead the dough again (it will return to approximately its original size).

3. Roll out dough and add filling

Roll out the dough and divide it into portions (usually around 12); you can use a drinking glass to cut circles out of the dough.

Put your filling inside (there are tons of options!), then fold the dough into the desired shape. Usually, this means folding it over in half after you’ve rolled it—the easiest way to start is a simple fold-and-pinch. As you gain experience, you might experiment with different swirls or ways of pinching the dough together.

4. Steam and enjoy!

Place into a steamer basket and cook for about 15 minutes. They’re best eaten warm but can be reheated, and they freeze well.

Explore Culinary Techniques Beyond Dumplings

Bao is a Chinese food that can be adapted to whatever you’re craving and can be a fun way to experiment with flavors and textures.

Find out more ways to have fun in your home kitchen with home gourmet online cooking classes like Chinese Noodle Dishes or Classic Soups.

Or, if you want to pursue a culinary education, consider a degree or diploma in culinary or pastry arts. Escoffier offers both on-campus and online options, making it easier for you to find a way to fit school into your life.

Want to know more about soups—and cheese? Try these articles next:

5 Spices to Use Instead of Salt
How to Make a Souffle
How to Plan a Cohesive, Multi-Course Meal

This article was originally published on April 19, 2016 and has since been updated.

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