Dinner in China - Baozi Man

Sometime we enjoy bao zi (bow-zeh not the bow of a ribbon but to take a bow after performing) for dinner. Each of us has our preferences, mainly sweet, but they are quick and relatively mess-free.

We started eating bao zi from a shop on the way home from the university but found the filling:dough ratio wrong for us. Too much filling in fact! So we switched to a little family-run bao zi shop in Bishan Lu a block from us and haven't looked back. We were somewhat in the dark for a long time about the prices, relying on Duoshao qian? (Dwoh-shou-chee-an?) to get by, but in the past few months we've finally been able to recognise a price list!

Each bao zi is just a little smaller than the size of an adult's fist. Prices are pretty fixed throughout Xiamen to 0.50 kuai (or 50 mao) for a savoury one and 0.60 kuai (or 60 mao) for a sweet one. The shop also sells mantou and maize when it is in season. Here is a pile of about eight bao zi - more than enough for dinner. The cost - around four and a half kuai (90 cents Australian, 60 cents American).
Sebastien and Alex enjoy their bao zi - Sebastien has put himself on a "white" diet so mainly enjoys the bread and avoids the vegetables in the middle whilst Alex is eating hers mainly so she can have a sweet one next.The fillings are varied, from what Mummy calls "mystery meat" (but is actually minced pork - we think) to diced/minced seaweed, mixed sauteed vegetables, tofu. The sweet ones are either red bean paste or a caramelized minced peanut one (that's the remains of Sebastien's vegie one on the table).Alex's favourite: huasheng (hwah-sherng) or peanut.
Sebastien's favourite: hongdou (hoong-dow) or red bean.

I should add that everytime Mummy and Sebastien go for a walk down the street, Sebastien starts saying "bao zi" as we go past the shop - sometimes he tries to ask for some too.