Scrolling through your social media feed, it would not be surprising to see picture after picture of your typical Chinese friends showing off their breakfast at a Dim Sum restaurant. And what you will probably be seeing the most are pictures featuring yellow buns filled with custard or a walkthrough on how to eat it without the custard dripping onto your shirt.
Yes, you might have guessed it by now or have tried it yourself too. It is the famous Chinese Steamed Custard Bun.
What is Chinese Steamed Custard Bun?
Chinese Steamed Custard Bun is a deliciously sweet dessert found in Dim Sum restaurants. It is a bread-like bun filled with sweet custard inside. Apply a little force on it and the bun will burst out with custard.
This speciality dessert is not only fun to eat, it actually tastes superbly good too!
History of Chinese Steamed Custard Bun
Based on a legendary tale, at a time where China was divided and ruled by three party states, namely Wei, Wu and Shu. A famous Chinese scholar and military strategist named Zhuge Liang invented bao (bun) which was small in size and easy to be carried around. It was considered as a brilliant invention, especially during times at war.
Since then, bao has become an integral part of the Chinese community, extremely popular in most chinese dim sum restaurants and widely available. It is typically eaten as a breakfast or snack and sometimes, can even be eaten as a whole meal by itself.
How to Make Chinese Steamed Custard Bun
We know you must be a foodie and eager to learn (or someone who loves a good challenge) if you are reading this section enthusiastically. Unfortunately, it is not covered here as there are countless methods detailing the process of making this bun.
Also, the process of making this delicate bun might be too tedious for some. Therefore, we suggest you to look up recipes online that may have the recipe in detail.
Trivia about Steam Bun
Here is another origin story or fun fact about the steamed bun.
It was believed that once a wise strategist wanted to lead his army to cross a river, only to encounter an angry river spirit. Locals have advised that in order to cross the river, the wise strategist must strike a deal with the river spirit. He must sacrifice some of his men to cross the river safely. Only if he is willing to do so, shall he be granted safe passage across the river.
Decidedly, the wise strategist concocted a plan by throwing dough balls stuffed with meat into the river. The river spirit accepted it, and the army was able to cross the river safely. From that day onwards, people started calling the dough ball “Steam Bun Head”, and that was how the name and origin of the food came from.
A little far fetched, but we have grounds to believe this story somehow inspires the making of Chinese Steamed Custard Bun. Wouldn’t it be fun to know what you are eating actually has such a witty story behind it?
Nutrition Fact Sheet
Fitness aficionados look over here. We understand how foodies like you often find it hard to balance a healthy diet with addictive food all over Malaysia. So here is a fact sheet tailored just for you.
One bun (65g) Chinese Steamed Custard Bun:
|
Calorie |
163 |
|
Carbs |
30g |
|
Fat |
3g |
|
Protein |
4g |
Where to find Chinese Steamed Custard Bun in Malaysia
Almost every dim sum shop sells this famous custard bun. If you are eager to taste it now, we got you covered! Here are some suggestions just to give you a head start. Restoran Jin Xuan Hong Kong (Petaling Jaya) is recommended, and you can even try out the custard buns at Dolly Dim Sum Pavilion Elite (Bukit Bintang).
Find more Chinese cuisine on foodpanda!