Machang Steamed Buns

Machang Steamed Buns

　　At the eastern end of the old street in Machang Town, Shuyang, there is a small, unassuming steamed bun workshop run by the Ji family, facing south. Though they are ordinary folks with a plain appearance, they have inherited ancestral craftsmanship and produce uniquely distinctive small steamed buns that are famous far and wide. The usual method for making steamed buns is: mix dough with starter dough, wait for it to ferment, add alkaline, shape the buns, then steam them. But the Ji family’s method of making small steamed buns is unique and complex: initially, they use high-quality distiller's yeast from sorghum liquor as a starter, mixed with premium wheat bran to create a large bowl of starter paste. Once the starter paste ferments, it is soaked thoroughly in boiling water, then the starter liquid (about half a jin) is filtered out and mixed with one jin of flour using boiling water to make the initial starter dough. After this starter dough ferments, more boiling water is added to make a new batch of starter dough. This process is repeated eight times, each time using one jin of flour to make the starter dough, so that the amount of starter gradually increases. Finally, the eighth batch of starter dough and about 25 jin of flour are mixed with boiling water to form a firm dough. After allowing this firm dough to ferment for an hour and a half, it is again mixed with boiling water to make a softer dough. Once this softer dough has fermented again, no alkaline is added; instead, it is repeatedly kneaded by hand into small steamed buns. At the same time, the steaming pot is brought to a boil, the steamer is taken down beside the stove, and the kneaded buns are arranged inside.

　　If all the steps—from making the starter paste with distiller’s yeast to kneading the buns—are done well before putting them in the steamer, the buns will immediately start to rise and expand fully as soon as they meet the heat. If any step is not done properly, the buns will not rise when they meet the steam. In that case, the buns are placed in the steamer and put on the stove, where low heat is used to encourage them to expand. Once the buns have expanded fully, high heat is applied for 15 minutes, followed by medium heat for 25 minutes—approximately 40 minutes in total—to steam them until fully cooked. Through these over ten meticulous steps, the Ji family’s steamed buns turn out snow-white, soft, and fragrant. A bun weighing several liang can be squeezed into a small ball with force, but once released, it quickly returns to its original size without changing shape. When eaten, they offer a mellow aroma from the distiller’s yeast, delicious flavor, and a refreshing effect on the mind. In hot weather, they can be preserved for three days; in cold weather, they last a month. They can be reheated and eaten multiple times without any change in color, aroma, taste, or texture. Coupled with features such as fermentation with distiller’s yeast, use of boiling water in the dough, no added alkaline, careful selection of ingredients, and fine craftsmanship, the Ji family’s steamed buns are indeed a rare and nutritious delicacy. They have long been widely welcomed by everyone, from high-ranking officials and nobles to common folk. Famous within a hundred-mile radius, these buns are a renowned specialty of Machang Town and have participated multiple times in national, provincial, and municipal exhibitions showcasing quality products.