Steamed bread is
definitely a northern Chinese invention. But like all things that are too good
to stay in one place, mantou and bao made their way south and took on
local flavors, turning into delicious reflections of whatever food culture was
in the area. Hakka people stuff them with preserved mustard greens and pork, for example, while in Sichuan they are filled with spicy bean sprouts and beef.
In Taiwan the
tropics take over. I quickly fell in love with these homey, comforting buns filled with creamy taro and
sought them out for early breakfasts on the go.
I would walk down Songjiang
Road at a fast clip, often with a bun in one hand and a cool drink of some sort
in the other, as I raced to class, dodging scooters and careening buses while
happily stuffing my face.
 |
| Sliced & julienned taro |
Two of my favorite
taro buns are these: one is smooth and striped, while the other is chunky and
polka-dotted.
Both are delicious and easy. Just have the dough ready before you start, and this recipe will be done before you know it.
Both are delicious and easy. Just have the dough ready before you start, and this recipe will be done before you know it.
 |
| Taro striped buns |
And so, be aware that this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled so that you can freeze the extras for a quick snack later on in the month.
Taro steamed buns (two ways)
Yùxiāng mántóu 芋香饅頭
Southern Fujian
& Taiwan
Makes 16 buns
(each version)
 |
| Mashed taro on the dough |
Striped buns:
8 ounces mature
taro, peeled
2 tablespoons
sugar
1 tablespoon
rendered lard or white shortening
1 recipe for Fast Steamed Bread, prepared up through Step 4
Spray oil, as
needed
16 pieces of
steamer paper
1. Put on gloves
if you are at all allergic to taro. Cut the taro into thin slices. Place the
taro in a heatproof bowl and steam it until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove
the bowl from the steamer. Add the sugar and lard (or shortening), and then mash
the taro into a paste with a potato masher or a fork. (If you would like this layer really smooth, heat the paste until warm and then pulse it in a mini food processor.) Do not refrigerate the
taro, as you want it soft and spreadable.
 |
| Pinch the roll closed |
 |
| Sliced pin wheels |
4. Steam the buns
over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the buns in the
covered steamer for another 10 minutes so that they do not deflate, and then
remove. Serve warm. Refrigerate or freeze any extras in a resealable plastic
bag.
Chunky taro buns:
8 ounces mature
taro, peeled
Spray oil, as
needed
16 pieces of
steamer paper
 |
| Fold taro into dough |
1. Put on gloves
if you are at all allergic to taro. Cut the raw taro into thin julienne and lay
it in a single layer on a clean paper or tea towel. Let it slightly air dry for about 4
hours, or until the taro feels a bit hard; this will keep the taro from falling
apart when it is kneaded into the dough.
2. Place the
rested dough on a lightly floured board. With your gloves on, gently knead in
the taro so that it does not mash up, but stays chunky. When the dough and taro
are evenly mixed, roll the dough into a 16-inch long rope and cut it into 16
even pieces.
 |
| Nubbly round buns |
4. Steam the buns
over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the buns in the
covered steamer for another 10 minutes so that they do not deflate, and then
remove. Serve warm. Refrigerate or freeze any extras in a resealable plastic
bag.
Tips
If you like, mix 2 tablespoons powdered milk into the yeast mixture in Step 1 of the recipe for
Fast Steamed Bread. This makes the bread even more luscious.
These buns are perfect with some condensed milk on the side for dipping. If you really want to go all out, fry the steamed buns on all sides over medium heat until golden, and then dip them in the condensed milk. Guaranteed to make you swoon.
Taro is a lavender tuber with a rich, almost milky aroma. It is found in most seaside provinces from the Yangtze River on down to Hainan because these are tropical areas that offer both the heat and heavy rainfall that taro demands. It is treated as a sort of potato in some places, but most people in the south use it to season other ingredients. The Hakka, for example, sandwich fresh pork belly between slices of taro and then steam it with a savory, slightly sweetened sauce, while the folks in Zhejiang might add it to rice porridge or cook it into a smooth sauce as a background for tender napa cabbage.
Select mature taro roots that are heavy and solid. There should be no squishy areas on the skin, as those indicate bruising and rot. Lots of times grocers will cut off the rotted areas and wrap the rest of the tuber in clear plastic wrap; there’s usually nothing wrong with these except for a bit of age, but I like to root through the bin until I find an intact one. Reject any with sprouts, as they are too old and the taro’s energy is being converted into leaves. Store taro in the refrigerator in a drawer, preferably unwrapped so that any moisture will evaporate. If you have more than you need, cut the peeled taro into chunks and freeze them in resealable bags.
 |
| Soft, fluffy texture |
These buns are perfect with some condensed milk on the side for dipping. If you really want to go all out, fry the steamed buns on all sides over medium heat until golden, and then dip them in the condensed milk. Guaranteed to make you swoon.
Taro is a lavender tuber with a rich, almost milky aroma. It is found in most seaside provinces from the Yangtze River on down to Hainan because these are tropical areas that offer both the heat and heavy rainfall that taro demands. It is treated as a sort of potato in some places, but most people in the south use it to season other ingredients. The Hakka, for example, sandwich fresh pork belly between slices of taro and then steam it with a savory, slightly sweetened sauce, while the folks in Zhejiang might add it to rice porridge or cook it into a smooth sauce as a background for tender napa cabbage.
 |
| Mature taro |
Select mature taro roots that are heavy and solid. There should be no squishy areas on the skin, as those indicate bruising and rot. Lots of times grocers will cut off the rotted areas and wrap the rest of the tuber in clear plastic wrap; there’s usually nothing wrong with these except for a bit of age, but I like to root through the bin until I find an intact one. Reject any with sprouts, as they are too old and the taro’s energy is being converted into leaves. Store taro in the refrigerator in a drawer, preferably unwrapped so that any moisture will evaporate. If you have more than you need, cut the peeled taro into chunks and freeze them in resealable bags.
