Bánh bao

Bánh bao is a Vietnamese steamed bun made from a yeasted wheat dough wrapped around a savoury filling. It is one of the most common breakfast and snack foods in Vietnamese cities.

What it really is

Bánh bao is a enriched wheat-flour dough, leavened with yeast and sometimes a little sugar and oil, that is shaped into a round, pleated bun around a filling. The classic filling is minced pork seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, shallot and black pepper, often combined with wood ear mushroom, quail egg or a whole hard-boiled egg, and sometimes glass noodles. The bun is steamed until the dough is white, soft and springy, and the pleated top is left open or sealed with a small twist.

The name is a Vietnamese borrowing from the Chinese baozi. Bánh bao differs from the Chinese bao in its fillings and dough: the Vietnamese version is generally softer and less sweet, and it is commonly eaten plain or with a small dip of chilli sauce. Bánh bao should not be confused with bánh bao chay, the vegetarian form filled with mushroom, glass noodles and vegetables, or with the baked, glazed char siu bao of Cantonese dim sum.

How it's served

• Eaten hot from the steamer, often for breakfast with coffee or tea.
• Eaten by hand, usually peeled from a paper wrapper or a square of banana leaf.
• Served plain or with a small dish of chilli sauce or fish sauce dip.
• Sold from street carts and bakeries in the morning and as a mid-afternoon snack.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the filling in full, for example pork, wood ear mushroom and quail egg, and state that the bun is steamed.
• Flag wheat and eggs, and fish sauce if the pork is seasoned with it, since fish is an allergen.
• State whether the bun is the meat version or the vegetarian version (bánh bao chay), as the two differ.
• Specify the dipping sauce served with it, such as chilli sauce or fish sauce dip.