''Char siu bao'' () is a

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke ...

-pork-filled ''

baozi Baozi (), Pao-tsih or 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 steamed. They are a variation of '' m ...

'' (bun).Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. 005 ''The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers''. Bay Books. . p. 24. The buns are filled with barbecue-flavored ''cha siu'' pork. They are served as a type of

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

during '' yum cha'' and are sometimes sold in Chinese bakeries.'' Cha siu'' refers to the pork filling; the word ''bao'' means "bun".

Varieties

There are two major kinds of ''cha siu bao'': the traditional steamed version is called () or simply (), while the baked variety is usually called (). Steamed ''cha siu bao'' has a white exterior, while the baked variety is browned and glazed.

Cantonese cuisine

Although visually similar to other types of steamed ''

'', the dough of steamed ''cha siu bao'' is unique since it makes use of both

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...

and

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

as leavening. This unique mix of leavening gives the dough of ''cha siu bao'' the texture of a slightly dense, but fine soft bread. Encased in the center of the bun is tender, sweet, slow-roasted pork tenderloin. This ''cha siu'' is diced, and then mixed into a syrupy mixture of

oyster sauce Oyster sauce describes a number of sauces made by cooking oysters. The most common in modern use is a viscous dark brown condiment made from oyster extracts,The Times, 22 January 1981; ''Cook Accidentally on purpose'' sugar, salt and water thic ...

, hoisin sauce, roasted sesame seed oil,

rice vinegar Rice vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented rice in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), as well as in Vietnam in Southeast Asia. It is used as a seasoning, dressing, and dipping in many dishes, including sushi, jiaozi, and banchans. Some of i ...

, shaoxing wine or dry

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or '' As ...

, sugar, and cornstarch.

Philippine cuisine

''Siopao'' (; ), literally meaning "hot bun", is the

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

indigenized version of

. A common variant of the ''siopao'', the ''siopao asado'', is derived from the ''char siu bao'' and has a filling (''

asado ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An ''asado'' usually consists of beef, por ...

'') which uses similar ingredients to ''

char siu ''Char siu'' () is a Chinese, specifically Cantonese–style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it is eaten with rice, used as an ingredient for noodle dishes or in stir fries, and as a filling for '' chasiu baau'' or '' pineapple ...

''. It differs in that the Filipino ''asado'' is a braised dish, not grilled, and is more similar in cooking style to the Hokkien '' tau yu bak'' (豆油肉). It is slightly sweeter than ''char siu'' and can also be cooked with chicken. ''Siopao'' is also typically much larger than the ''char siu bao'' or the ''baozi''.

Polynesian cuisine

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, the item is called ''manapua''. Its name is a shortening of the Hawaiian ''mea ono puaa'', meaning "delicious pork thing". On the US mainland, the Chinese term is commonly used. The Chinese immigrants brought this ''

'' item with them when they were brought over as plantation workers. In

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

and

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internatio ...

, the item is referred to as ''keke pua'a'', literally meaning "pig cake". This food usually consists of a white bun with a dark pink-colored diced pork filling. The Hawaiian version of the cha siu bao tends to be larger than its Chinese cousin and can be either steamed or baked. In Hawaii starting in the plantation era, ''manapua'' sellers were and still are a common occurrence and have even become iconic symbols of Hawaii. The red pork filling's dark pink color comes from marinating the pork with a very small amount of

saltpeter Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate Salt (chemistry), salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ...

prior to slow roasting. The bun is occasionally baked, but more frequently is steamed when it is made. ''Manapua'' has come to mean any meat-filled or bean-paste-filled bun made with the same dough as described above, including locally created versions with

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...

, ''kalua'' pig, and even ''

ube UBE or Ube may refer to: * Ubiquitin-activating enzyme * Ube, Yamaguchi, a city in Japan * Uniform Bar Examination * Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy * Ube Industries, chemical company * Union bound estimate, a probability theory bound * Union of Bo ...

'' (purple yam), which is a popular

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

version of the ''manapua''. In Hawaii, freshly prepared or prepackaged frozen ''manapua'' may be found in dedicated bakeries, restaurants, and chain convenience stores. In addition to existing in Hawaii, ''bao'' buns are also commonly found in

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of French ...

. In Tahiti they are called ''chao pao'', and were brought to the islands during the Chinese migration wave dating back to the mid 1800s. Despite its long Tahitian history, the ''chao pao'' retains all its authentic characteristics. The ''chao pao'' is a local favorite and is commonly sold all over the island in Chinese mom-and-pop stores as a breakfast item.

Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

, the item is called ''xíu páo''. It's originating from Guangdong and Chaozhou following a fairly large overseas Chinese community living in

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...

street in

Nam Dinh Nam, Nam, or The Nam are shortened terms for: * Vietnam, which is also spelled ''Viet Nam'' * The Vietnam War Nam, The Nam or NAM may also refer to: Arts and media * Nam, a fictional character in anime series ''Dragon Ball'' * ''NAM'' (video ...

, Vietnam. Ingredients for baking mainly include flour, meat, eggs, flour, lard and some typical spices depending on how each family's family is made. To make delicious cakes, people often marinate pork tenderloin with minced garlic, five flavors, oyster oil, honey and then baked until it turns the color of the cockroach and is fragrant. Char siu meat is cut with pomegranate seeds mixed with wood ear, pork fat and half a boiled chicken egg. The word "xíu páo" is considered to be transliterated Cantonese or Hokkien.

References