Canton Private Tours

Cha siu bao is one of the typical and traditional dim sum of Han nationality in Guangdong. It also is regarded as one of four heavenly kings of dim sum. Cha siu bao or BBQ pork bun is a Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled bun. “Cha siu” refers to the pork filling and the word “bao” simply means bun. There are two major kinds of cha siu bao: steamed and baked. Steamed cha siu bao has a white exterior, while its baked counterpart is browned and glazed. They are served as a type of dim sum during yum cha and are sometimes sold in breakfast diners.

Making a good Cha siu bao should use good Cha siu that makes from well-marbled meat. The filling of the Cha siu bao is made from diced Cha siu, mixed with syrupy mixture of oyster sauce. Although visually similar to other types of steamed bun, the dough of steamed cha siu bao is unique since it makes use of both yeast and baking powders as leavening. This unique mix of leavening gives the dough of cha siu bao the texture of a slightly dense, but fine soft bread. When making the Cha siu bao, chef needs to make bird cage shape. Because of moderate fermentation, the top of bun will crack after steaming and send forth sweet smell.