Gou Bu Li Baozi is a much-loved dish for the people of Tianjin, China. It also has a history dating back 150 years to 1858. This is the year that Gao Guiyou created this food and began to serve it in Tianjin. Many people believe that the dish is named for him or at least after the nickname he answered to in childhood and that he felt protected him from bad luck. Others also point out that the name Gou Bu Li Baozi literally means “dogs don’t care.” In other words, dogs would allow people to eat this food in peace.
What is a Baozi Bun?
This type of bun contains a variety of meats and vegetables and chefs steam it to prepare it for serving. They are small enough to carry in one hand, making them an easy item to sell on the streets of China. However, diners can find them in restaurants as well. The Xiabao is the small version of the bun. It can fit three to ten on a single plate. The large version is the Dabao, which most street vendors tend to prefer.
How Chefs Create Bu Li Baozi
When preparing these buns, chefs combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and let it sit for approximately five hours. The next step is to transfer the baking powder and sugar into another large bowl and use an electronic mixer to stir the ingredients. Once the sugar and baking powder are thoroughly mixed, it’s time to add flour to the bowl. The chef then removes the dough and kneads in on a cutting board.
The next step involves taking smaller sections of the dough and rolling it in flour on a cutting board. The chef will then rip off several small sections that will be the Baozi buns. He or she then flattens the smaller parts with a pin roller. With several pieces lying flat on the cutting board, the chef reaches for a bowl containing the filling and then scoops it into each piece of dough with a spoon. One of the final steps is to pull the dough up around the fillings to create the shape of a Baozi bun. The chef is now ready to steam the buns, which he or she does for approximately eight minutes.
Popular Flavors of Gou Bu Li Baozi
The inside of a Baozi bun contains meat, which is usually some type of pork. It can also contain broth, bean paste, custard filling, eggs, soy sauce, bamboo shoots, brown sugar, vegetables, or one of several other fillings. Diners can usually specify at least some of the fillings they would like as well as the size of the bun.
Although eating of these buns was a uniquely Chinese tradition for many decades, they are now a favorite of diners around the world. Their popularity is only expected to increase as more people become aware of their unique flavors and ease of eating.