Ninghua Leek Buns

Ninghua Leek Buns

　　In Ninghua, the ancestral land of the Hakka people in Fujian, you can savor deliciously fresh and refreshing raw fish slices, uniquely flavored shumai, and the fragrant leek buns.

　　Ninghua leek buns, also known as "rice buns," are a creation by the Hakka people inspired by northern Chinese dumplings. The fact that these buns have “fillings” highlights their uniqueness—southern Chinese typically don’t use fillings with staple rice dishes, but fillings are closely associated with flour-based foods. The tradition of adding fillings to dough is originally a practice from the Central Plains. This shows that leek buns inherit and further develop the techniques of making Central Plains-style flour foods, representing a unique delicacy created by the Hakka people using modified methods.

　　Ninghua leek buns resemble dumplings and use ordinary rice as the “wrapping material” for these “rice buns.” Turning rice into a soft yet tough dough that is glutinous like wheat gluten—sticky yet not mushy, not falling apart—is no easy task, nor is manually shaping it into paper-thin wrappers. Here’s how the wrappers are made: first, soak and rinse glutinous rice, then grind it with water into a thick rice slurry. Pour the slurry into a pot and stir over low heat until it becomes a paste, then press it into shape, scoop it out, and spread it in a tray to cool. Rub the cooled dough repeatedly with oil-coated hands to form a dough ball, which serves as the wrapper material. Cover it with a damp clean towel to prevent the surface from hardening. The filling is even more meticulously prepared. As the name suggests, “leek buns” are mostly filled with leeks. Leeks are seasonal, and during the cold winter months, their growth is stunted by frost and snow. The first leeks to sprout after the beginning of spring are the first harvest and should be cut completely to allow the plant to regrow second and third harvests. By the time of the Qingming Festival, the newly grown leeks are vibrant green, tender, and delicious—the perfect material for leek buns. At this time, winter bamboo shoots in the mountains are nearly gone, while spring bamboo shoots begin to emerge. Their tender, white, and crisp diced shoots add a special flavor. It’s also when mustard greens are about to bloom—their peeled and cored hearts, finely chopped, are another essential ingredient. Add diced pork, mushrooms, dried shrimp, and a bit of cooking oil, stir-fry everything together, and the filling is complete. Once the wrappers and filling are ready, it’s time to assemble the buns. First, pinch off a small rice ball about the size of a thumb, roll it between your palms into a small ball, then flatten it into a thin rice sheet. Wrap it around the prepared filling, pleating the edges like a dumpling, and arrange them tightly in a steamer lined with a damp cloth. Steam them in a pot for over ten minutes, until the wrappers are no longer sticky to the touch. The cooked leek buns have translucent wrappers through which the filling is faintly visible, exuding a mouthwatering fragrance. Pair a sip of mellow and aromatic Hakka rice wine with a bite of these delicious leek buns, and you’ll discover a truly unique flavor experience. (By Lian Yundong)

　　Source: People's Government of Fujian Province