You Should Add Gua Bao to Your Shopping List.
Bread is the only food that never lets me down. It’s always filling, delicious, and the variety offered around the world always keeps it interesting. One of my favorite breads is the plump gua bao bun, and if you haven’t already, you should definitely add it to your weekly rotation.
What are gua bao (buns)?
Gua bao (additionally transliterated as koa pow, gua pao, or simply bun bao) is a small wheat flour-based bread originating from China. The word “bao” already means “bun” and is very similar to “tea”, adding the redundant word “bun” at the end is more helpful to English speakers to remember what it is. You may notice other types of buns or dumplings on restaurant menus with or without the word “bao”.
In my fanatical view of bread eating, its peculiarity lies in its form and method of preparation. Gua bao is made with fairly typical bread ingredients: wheat flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, salt and milk. But instead of baking them at an aggressive temperature of 400 to 500 F in a dry environment like most Western breads, they are steamed at a much gentler temperature of 212 F. As for the shape, instead of a round ball like a dinner roll , the gua bao is flattened into a long oval, which is then folded in half. What you see looks like the face of a sock puppet. But, of course, more magnificent and much more appetizing.
Where can I get gua bao?
While you absolutely can make these at home, I usually don’t. Not because it’s difficult to make, but because it’s easy for me to buy them ready-made. (But if you want to give it a try, here’s a recipe you can try.) I buy them frozen at Asian grocery stores. They are affordable and taste great.
To reheat them, first follow the instructions on the package. If there are no instructions or they are written in a language you can’t read, you can technically recook them on the stove, but I usually just use the microwave. Place one or two buns on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave it in 15 second batches, checking in between. It only takes 30 seconds or less.
How to eat gua bao
Steam creates a special roll texture. It develops a shiny, slightly sticky skin, and the inside of the crumb is dense and airy. Gua Bao have a mild flavor, making them ideal for a wide range of flavors, and the soft texture adds a bit of crunch to the fillings. The resulting piece is the perfect size to be picked up with one hand and eaten in three or four bites.
You’ll usually see them in restaurants stuffed with juicy stewed meat, julienned carrots, cucumber and a pinch of crushed peanuts. This is definitely worth repeating at home. However, if that’s not a tempting option, they are very versatile. You can fill them with anything, sweet or salty. Try gua bao as an alternative to a hot dog bun, add a cheesy scrambled egg, or sandwich with crispy, nutritious yeast-covered tofu . Fill it with roast pork, roast chicken, or Thai fried plantains . Place unused buns in a container and store them in the freezer because, like most breads, gua bao freezes well.