Baoning White Sugar Steamed Buns

Baoning White Sugar Steamed Buns

　　Baoning White Sugar Steamed Buns are a famous local delicacy in Langzhong City. They were created during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era by Hui Muslim technician Ha Gongkui. According to the Langzhong County Annals: “Baoning wheat flour is the most renowned—made from southern wheat, finely milled, and sifted through multiple layers of fine sieves, then steamed into buns called ‘steamed bread.’ Travelers can carry them over a thousand miles away, and even if mold forms on the outside while the inside stays dry, steaming them briefly restores their original color, aroma, taste, and shape. Many visiting merchants purchase these buns in the county as gifts.”

White Sugar Steamed Buns are now produced by more than ten bakeries. Through competition, their quality has gradually improved and varieties have continued to evolve. In addition to mass-producing small steamed buns, they also make various artisanal steamed buns featuring decorative patterns such as two dragons playing with a pearl, auspicious carp, birds and beasts, and tower-shaped longevity peaches.

The buns are snow-white in color, soft and tender in texture. When eaten warm, they are chewy yet not sticky. When cooled and eaten later, they become flaky and refreshing, with a sweet flavor and a rich aroma of osmanthus. Baoning White Sugar Steamed Buns have none of the alkaline bitterness or off-flavors typical of regular Chinese steamed buns, nor the slight sourness of Western-style bread. Both domestic and international visitors who seek them out praise them highly.