Gua Bao

History

Gua bao — also known as the 'tiger bite' for the way the bun clamps around the filling — has been a staple of Taiwanese street food and night markets for generations, with roots in the Fujianese cooking traditions brought to Taiwan by immigrants from mainland China. The steamed lotus-leaf bun filled with hong shao rou (red-braised pork belly) became one of Taiwan's most iconic foods, and gained global fame in the 2010s when chefs like David Chang of Momofuku in New York popularized it internationally.

Ingredients

• Steamed lotus-leaf bao bun (flour, yeast, sugar, lard)
• Braised pork belly (hong shao rou)
• Pickled mustard greens
• Crushed roasted peanuts
• Fresh cilantro
• Soy sauce
• Rice wine
• Sugar
• Five spice

How to Make

1. 1Mix flour, yeast, sugar, lard and water; knead into a soft dough and rest for 1 hour.
2. 2Shape into oval buns, fold over a chopstick to create the clam shape, and steam for 10–12 minutes.
3. 3Braise pork belly with soy sauce, rice wine, sugar and five spice for 1.5–2 hours until tender and glossy.
4. 4Slice pork belly into thick pieces.
5. 5Open the steamed bun and fill with pork belly, pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts and cilantro.
6. 6Serve immediately.

Known for it

• Lan Jia Gua Bao Traditional Taiwanese SnackNo. 3號, Alley 8, Ln. 316, Section 3, Roosevelt Rd, Wencheng Village, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100