Tangbao or soup buns are a large, soup-filled type of steamed buns (''

baozi Baozi (), Pao-tsih or bao, is a type of yeast-leavened filled bun in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations, though the buns are most often steamed. They are a variation of '' m ...

'') in

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...

. They are also sometimes known as ''guantang bao'' or soup-filled buns. Various varieties are found, with some name variations in various parts of the country. All of these buns are made by wrapping a gelatinous filling in dough, which is then steamed to melt the filling into soup.

Types

Some examples of tangbao include: * ''Tangbao'' from

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

, in

Henan province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

: The traditional ''tang bao'' in Kaifeng is a large bun, similar to other

, which is bitten open to release the soup filling, which is then drunk with a spoon. However, the traditional form has all but disappeared, with most eateries choosing to serve a Jiangsu-style ''tangbao'' where the soup is drunk with a straw. * ''Tangbao'' from

Yangzhou Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, ...

, Jingjiang and elsewhere in

Jiangsu province Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...

: This variety is found throughout the

Jiangnan Jiangnan or Jiang Nan (; formerly romanized Kiang-nan, literally "South of the River" meaning "South of the Yangtze") is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, incl ...

region. Often served in its own individual steaming basket, the large steamed bun contains a soup filling made with pork gelatin and sometimes, crab roe. The soup is drunk with a straw, the rest of the bun eaten afterwards. It is often served with ginger slices and vinegar. * '' Xiaolongbao'' from

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four Direct-administered municipalities of China, direct-administered municipalities of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the ...

and elsewhere in

: a small sized variety of ''tangbao'' usually made with unleavened dough, each bun is picked up and bitten open to access the pork and soup filling. * ''Xiaolong tangbao'' from

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city a ...

: similar to a xiaolongbao in shape, but made with leavened dough.

References

{{Street food Dim sum Jiangsu cuisine Shanghai cuisine Steamed foods Street food

Types

See also

References