Longan Buns

Longan Buns

　　Sichuan specialty—Longan Buns, one of the more distinctive staple foods in Sichuan, are a unique type of bun made from flour, fatty and lean pork, golden hooks (dried shrimp), and other ingredients through steaming. They are characterized by their thin, soft, and resilient dough, a shape resembling longan fruit, and a savory, delicious taste.

　　Specialty culture: A passage from “Stories of Minor Officials” cited by the Song Dynasty’s Gao Cheng in “Origins of Things” says that during Zhuge Liang’s campaign to assist Liu Bei in unifying the realm, he led his army into the southwest to subdue Meng Huo. While crossing the Lu River (also known as the Lujiang River)—specifically the section where the lower Yalong River meets the Jinsha River—around the time of the fifth lunar month, which corresponds to Zhuge Liang’s “Crossing the Lu in the Fifth Month, Venturing into Barren Lands” in his “Memorial on Dispatching the Troops.” What does this mean? It refers to how, during the fifth lunar month when summer heat sets in, the Lu River is unlike other waters; it has “excessive miasma,” and not only that, but the water contains toxic substances. Soldiers who drank from the Lu River unexpectedly suffered fatalities and illnesses at a high rate.

　　In this situation, after much deliberation, Zhuge Liang ordered the soldiers to slaughter pigs and cattle, mix beef and pork together, mince them into a paste, combine it with flour, shape it into human heads, steam it, and have the soldiers eat it. As a result, the soldiers’ illnesses and injuries quickly subsided. As the story spread among the local people around the Lu River, it was said that the human-shaped “steamed buns” ordered by Zhuge Liang could ward off plague demons. From then on, people gradually began making and eating “steamed buns.” As social life continued to evolve, closely aligned with dietary needs, these evolved into food items with meat fillings inside the “steamed buns,” eventually named “buns” because they were made by wrapping meat filling in dough, and appropriately dubbed “buns” by the people.

　　This type of flour-based food likely appeared during the Wei and Jin periods. However, the original name for buns was “steamed bread.” The Jin Dynasty’s Shu Xi mentioned in “Ode to Pastries” that “Man Tou” (lit. soft head) were suitable for banquets in early spring. The so-called “Man Tou” here actually referred to buns. As for the use of the term “bun,” it began in the Song Dynasty. The book “Records of Bamboo Grove Chats” states: “During the Song Dynasty, there was a physician named Sun Lin who treated Emperor Ningzong’s gonorrhea by using buns stuffed with garlic and light fermented black beans. He had the patient take them three times a day, and within three days, the illness was cured, earning him a reputation as a miraculous doctor.” The famous Song Dynasty poet Lu You not only wrote a poem titled “Steamed Cakes” praising them, but also provided his own annotations. His poem “Steamed Cakes” reads: “Misty rain obscures the humble cottage, children prepare wine and dishes as they please, suddenly I feel as if I’m in Shu, a plate of steamed cakes is like pea pods.” Lu You’s annotation reads: “In Shu, pork-stuffed steamed bread (i.e., buns) is excellent—they actually refer to steamed bread as cage cakes.” This shows that at the time, pork-filled steamed bread from Sichuan was already quite famous. Health is worth the time and effort we invest in pursuing it. The Northern Song Dynasty’s Tao Gu, in “Extraordinary Records of Clear Words,” discussed the “food shops” of the time and the delicacies they offered, mentioning something called “meat-filled buns.” The Southern Song Dynasty’s Nai Deweng, in “Records of the Capital’s Splendors,” stated that the teahouses and taverns of Lin’an were divided into three types: tea-and-rice taverns, bun taverns, and garden taverns, with the bun taverns specializing in goose and duck meat-filled buns. This indicates that buns were already quite common during this period.

　　Specialty production: Pure, snow-white top-grade flour is fermented, then mixed with sugar and lard and kneaded until smooth to create a bun skin that feels as soft and silky as satin to the touch. The choicest pork from the shoulder and leg is selected, minced into fine, residue-free meat paste, seasoned with various spices, and blended with simmered, rich chicken broth. This is stirred into an aromatic meat filling. To enhance the meat’s flavor and ensure it melts in the mouth, taro is also added.