Flowing Liu Sha Bao, Wikimedia.
The food I’ve decided to bring for today is the liu sha bao (流沙包). The liu sha bao is ubiquitous on many dim sum menus, however, it is merely a modern invention. The reason I decided on this food item is that I wanted to use it to highlight the difference between a ‘traditional’ baozi and a modern baozi. However, to understand how the liu sha bao came about, there is a need to look into the history of bing, mantou, and baozi.
History of Baozi
In today’s context, when asked about the difference between the mantou and baozi, the consensus is that mantou are unfilled streamed buns, while baozi are steamed buns filled with either sweet or savoury stuffing. [1] However, this was not the case in ancient China and in fact, the two words were sometimes used interchangeably, and this will be further explored later on in the post.
The creation of the baozi is most commonly credited to Zhuge Liang, a famed military strategist from the Three Kingdoms period. The reason we believe this to be the case could be because of the legendary historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) which is attributed to Luo Guanzhong. In Chapter 91 ‘祭泸水汉相班师，伐中原武侯上表’, Zhuge Liang and his troops were unable to cross the River Lu due to bad weather. When asked, Meng Huo told Zhuge Liang that evil spirits placed a curse on the river and the only way to appease the spirits was to sacrifice human heads, an ox and a sheep. Zhuge Liang was reluctant to do so and instead ordered his army cooks to prepare large, meat-stuffed buns which resembled the shape of human heads. These final products are known as 蠻头 (barbarian heads) or the modern equivalent of mantou. [2] At the beginning of this paragraph, I mentioned that I wanted to elaborate on the origins of the baozi, but I ended it up by talking about mantou. That is because what is described in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms resemble what we now know as baozi and not mantou. My intention was to showcase how convoluted the history of these two words are, and that there was a lack of standardisation of the words.
To make matters even worse, the origin story as described above is debated and is considered a myth. I would now like to offer an alternate origin story, the history of 饼 (bing). It has since been discovered that the ancient Chinese did not begin making dough until the Warring States or Han period. [3] However, after they knew how to make dough out of wheat flour, they began to make all sorts of food such as steamed bread, stuffed buns, dumplings, and noodles, just to name a few. All of these foods were categorised as bing. [4] Steamed breads and stuffed buns seem to be the modern-day equivalent of the mantou and baozi, thus making matters even more confusing. However, the earliest mention of mantou in Chinese Literature can be found in Shu Xi’s ‘Ode to Bing (饼赋)’, but there was no mention if they were unfilled or filled buns. [5][6]
Ultimately, it is rumoured that a distinction between mantou and baozi was made during the Song Dynasty. However, there is also evidence that medical writer, Gao Lian used mantou to refer to filled buns, so perhaps it can be argued that the distinction between baozi and mantou is a modern invention. [7]
Liu Sha Bao as a Modern Invention?
It is difficult to say for certain who invented the liu sha bao or where it was invented. However, it is safe to say that it is a food item that has permeated modern society, and can be found on menus from Crystal Jade to even coffee shops. What I feel sets liu sha bao apart from other baozis such as dou sha bao (豆沙包) is its flowy center. When you tear into a dou sha bao, in the center you’ll be welcomed to a red bean paste which while smooth, still requires you to chew. However, when you tear into a liu sha bao, expect a cascading waterfall of salted egg custard. So the only thing that makes the liu sha bao a modern invention is its filling.
What about its ingredients? In the table below, I will be comparing the ingredients list for the dough of mantou, dou sha bao, and liu sha bao which I found online:
| Mantou | Dou Sha Bao [8] | Liu Sha Bao [9] |
| Wheat Flour | All-purpose flour | All-purpose flour |
| Yeast | Instant yeast | Castor sugar |
| Water | Cooking oil | Baking powder |
| Sugar | Yeast | |
| Salt | Water | |
| Oil |
The common ingredients between the three food items are a type of flour, yeast, and also a liquid that binds the dough together. Thus, despite being so different on a surface-level, ultimately all that differentiates the three food items are whether they are filled or not, and what are its fillings.
Conclusion:
I would like to conclude this blog post by mentioning that the liu sha bao is not the craziest modern baozi I have seen. I was looking through the website of the place I ordered the liu sha bao from and was shocked to see not only a chilli crab bao but also a Hainanese chicken rice bao! [10] It is extremely fascinating to see how in this highly globalised world, there is an exchange of culture and cuisine. These threads that bind us together offer us chances to be innovative with our food, and create something completely new. From a simple steamed bun, to an array of filled buns, the Chinese cuisine seems to be constantly evolving, and that may be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask.
References:
[1] Anderson, E. N. “Foods from the West: Medieval China.” In Food and Environment in Early and Medieval China, 152-81. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014. 164. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt83jhpt.11.
[2] Tang, Siufu, and Isaac Yue “Food and the Literati: The Gastronomic Discourse of Imperial Chinese Literature.” Scribes of Gastronomy: Representations of Food and Drink in Imperial Chinese Literature. Eds. Yue, Isaac and Siufu Tang. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2013. 6-7.
[3] Knechtges, David R. “Gradually Entering the Realm of Delight: Food and Drink in Early Medieval China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 117, no. 2 (1997): 234. https://www.jstor.org/stable/605487.
[4] Knechtges, David R. “Gradually Entering the Realm of Delight: Food and Drink in Early Medieval China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 117, no. 2 (1997): 234. https://www.jstor.org/stable/605487.
[5] Serventi, Silvano., and Françoise Sabban. “9. China: Pasta’s Other Homeland.” Trans. Shugaar, Anthony. Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food. Columbia University Press, 2002. 272.
[6] Knechtges, David R. “A Literary Feast: Food in Early Chinese Literature.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 106, no. 1 (1986): 60.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/602363
[7] Anderson, E. N. “Foods from the West: Medieval China.” In Food and Environment in Early and Medieval China, 152-81. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014. 164. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt83jhpt.11.
[8] What To Cook Today. “Best Homemade Dou Sha Bao (Red Bean Paste Steamed Buns).” Accessed October 21, 2019.
https://whattocooktoday.com/dou-sha-bao.html.
[9] Chenyze, Mia. “Recipe: How to Make Liu Sha Bao at Home.” Accessed October 21, 2019.
https://www.herworld.com/solutions/recipes/recipe-how-make-liu-sha-bao-home.
[10] Kung Fu JB Bao. “Menu.” Accessed October 21, 2019.
http://kungfujbpau.com/menu.html