Lao Mian Rou Bao (Traditional Sourdough Meat Bun)
Convenience store meatballs are too sweet!? The real skin is sourdough and gravy bombs
Description
Japanese convenience store meat buns feature cake-like, sweet, fluffy dough and sweet fillings. Authentic Chinese meat buns use 'Lao Mian' (multi-generational natural sourdough starter) for a dense, highly chewy bun. The filling is a savory, salt-based pork explosion saturated with scallion-ginger soup.
Restaurants serving Lao Mian Rou Bao (Traditional Sourdough Meat Bun)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Wheat flour
- Lao Mian(Sourdough starter)
- Minced pork
- Scallion
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Lye water
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Dough) Instead of rapid commercial yeast/baking powder, flour is fermented for hours using 'Lao Mian' (yesterday's dough starter). Alkaline water is kneaded in to neutralize acidity. This creates an 'intense wheat sweetness and dense chewiness' absent in Japanese buns.
- (Filling) Minced pork is seasoned with soy, dark soy, sesame oil, and salt. Unlike Japan, bamboo shoots, shiitake, and heavy sugar are rarely used.
- [The Ultimate Secret]: Slowly drizzle 'Scallion-Ginger Water' into the meat while beating violently in one direction. The meat absorbs the soup to its absolute limit, becoming a wobbly jelly.
- Wrap the filling in the chewy dough, pleating beautifully to seal.
- Steam on high for
- mins. Turn off heat and 'NEVER open the lid for
- minutes (prevents the dough from collapsing)'.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Scallion/ginger flavor、Intense pork juices
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese convenience store Nikuman (differs totally in dough sweetness/texture)
Pairing
Soy Milk / Chinese Tea
Trivia
[Trivia] On Chinese morning streets, commuters swarm Baozi shops emitting massive clouds of steam. While Japanese Nikuman is a 'snack', the Chinese meat bun is a formidable 'morning staple carb'.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Because the dough is dense, first take a bite of just the bun to enjoy the fermented wheat aroma. Next, slurp the boiling hot meat juices spilling from the inside. Finally, devour the meat and dough together. Dipping in black vinegar is also exceptional.
Allergen
Wheat, Pork, Soybeans, Sesame