Ladies and gentlemen, may I direct your attention to the above photo. We are looking at one of China's biggest assets: no, it is not the streets bustling with indefatigable commerce, nor the super highway that propels the Chinese people into the heights of capitalism; rather, it is the somewhat inconspicuous storefront, marked by a single sign, where the apogee of seven thousand years of civilization pulsates. Citizens of the world, I give you the baozi shack.
The baozi shack is akin to the American drive through, only the food is much, much, better. People congregate here at
all times of the day: in the morning, for a midday snack, and around dinner time.
I make no exaggeration when I say that baozi have changed my life. Those of you who know me know my obsession with small dumplings and stuffed buns. Sadly, New York's offerings in this department truly bite, and I have been living without regular doses of fluffy white buns stuffed with savory meat for far too long.
Baozi are made fresh daily. The baozi people take pride in their work, but do not necessarily enjoy having their photo taken.
This man was a little less reluctant to have his picture taken. You can see the enormous bowl filled with ground meat and spices at the bottom right.
I was lucky enough to catch him in the process of rolling out small pieces of dough, which are then filled with meat.
They are then steamed over these trashcan like contraptions.
Perfect, mouthwatering baozi. They are actually rather small in size, which it makes all the more easy to pop them into your mouth, one after the other.
The interior of baozi varies by establishment. They can be salty, sweet, sour, crunchy, you name it. Generally, however, they are filled with a mixture of pork and some kind of vegetable.
And if you are still not full, then there are the jiaozi!
You can often see many people walking around with plastic bags filled with baozi or jiaozi. They are put into the bag when they are piping hot, and I am still trying to figure out how the bag does not melt onto the baozi. Baozi defy laws of physics? I can believe it. Anyway, this blog entry is intended not only to inspire and educate people on baozi, but also to provide an explanation as to why I will return home 10 pounds heavier in 2 months from now.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I direct your attention to the above photo. We are looking at one of China's biggest assets: no, it is not the streets bustling with indefatigable commerce, nor the super highway that propels the Chinese people into the heights of capitalism; rather, it is the somewhat inconspicuous storefront, marked by a single sign, where the apogee of seven thousand years of civilization pulsates. Citizens of the world, I give you the baozi shack.
The baozi shack is akin to the American drive through, only the food is much, much, better. People congregate here at all times of the day: in the morning, for a midday snack, and around dinner time.
I make no exaggeration when I say that baozi have changed my life. Those of you who know me know my obsession with small dumplings and stuffed buns. Sadly, New York's offerings in this department truly bite, and I have been living without regular doses of fluffy white buns stuffed with savory meat for far too long.
Baozi are made fresh daily. The baozi people take pride in their work, but do not necessarily enjoy having their photo taken.
This man was a little less reluctant to have his picture taken. You can see the enormous bowl filled with ground meat and spices at the bottom right.
I was lucky enough to catch him in the process of rolling out small pieces of dough, which are then filled with meat.
They are then steamed over these trashcan like contraptions.
Perfect, mouthwatering baozi. They are actually rather small in size, which it makes all the more easy to pop them into your mouth, one after the other.
The interior of baozi varies by establishment. They can be salty, sweet, sour, crunchy, you name it. Generally, however, they are filled with a mixture of pork and some kind of vegetable.
And if you are still not full, then there are the jiaozi!
You can often see many people walking around with plastic bags filled with baozi or jiaozi. They are put into the bag when they are piping hot, and I am still trying to figure out how the bag does not melt onto the baozi. Baozi defy laws of physics? I can believe it. Anyway, this blog entry is intended not only to inspire and educate people on baozi, but also to provide an explanation as to why I will return home 10 pounds heavier in 2 months from now.
5 comments:
Risha,
The trash can displayed for steaming the baozi(?) is identical to the one my Papa(your grandpa) made for my Mom in San Antonio to steam her baus(Toisan dialect). Thanks, now I know where the idea originated from.
Aunt Bet: How cool! I am thinking of going to Guangzhou after the program ends, and maybe even making a trip to the family village. I suppose I should get in touch with Uncle Washington to advise. Anyway, now you have even more inspiration to get this kind of trash can for your own bun steaming purposes. . . and inviting guests over ;) Actually, do have to say that the Chinese food here doesn't hold a candle to yours and Aunt Mee's. You remain the masters of Chinese cuisine.
My mouth is watering...
Damn! I want me some of them hot buns!
Poo, holy friggin' cow, I'm putting on weight just reading this. Everything looks so delictable and unbelievably mouth watering. Mmmm. You probably won't want to eat chinese food when you get back from China (go figure), but could you humor me and go feasting with me one night?? Mmmmm. Yummy. I'm so hungry!
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