Cha siu bao

Cha siu bao is a Cantonese bun filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork. It is served as a type of dim sum during yum cha and is also sold in Chinese bakeries. Two main kinds exist. The traditional steamed version has a white exterior, while the baked version is browned and glazed, often with an egg and sugar wash that makes it slightly sweeter and more bready. The steamed dough is distinctive because it uses both yeast and baking powder as leavening, which gives a dense but fine and soft crumb, and some cooks add a water roux called tangzhong to keep the bun soft for longer. The filling is diced, slow-roasted pork tenderloin mixed into a syrupy blend of oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, shaoxing wine or sherry, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. The dish has regional relatives: siopao asado in the Philippines, manapua in Hawaii, keke pua'a in Samoa and chao pao in Tahiti.