Han's Steamed Buns

In 1914, Han Yulong, a native of Wenjiang County, opened the Yulong Garden Noodle Shop on South Dajin Street in Chengdu. His buns built the shop a loyal following for their unusually delicate flavor. After Han Yulong died, his son Han Wenhua took over, refined the technique, and developed the signature varieties — shrimp bun, ham bun, and fresh pork bun — eventually converting the shop entirely to baozi and renaming it Han Baozi. In December 1990, the Chengdu municipal government formally recognized Han Baozi as a Chengdu Famous Snack, cementing its place among the city's officially acknowledged culinary institutions.

Small and sturdy, the bun's open top reveals the filling before the first bite. The white wrapper — thin and soft — dissolves with barely a chew; rendered lard in the dough gives it a characteristically silky melt. The filling is moist and compact: chopped pork in fat-to-lean harmony, a thread of shrimp sweetness, and the gentle numbing of Sichuan peppercorn woven through the savory. One bun demands a second.

The silky, dissolving texture of Han's wrappers comes from rendered lard: its saturated fats coat gluten strands and interrupt cross-linking, keeping the dough tender rather than chewy. The fermentation protocol is equally precise — a yeast starter raises the dough, then baking soda is kneaded in to neutralize fermentation acids, preventing the wrapper from yellowing or tasting sour, while sugar feeds remaining yeast and adds color. The dough rests another twenty minutes so gluten fully relaxes, making rolling thin without tearing possible. Steaming over vigorously boiling water builds rapid steam pressure that lifts the wrapper evenly; fifteen minutes is the window — beyond it, moisture loss collapses the dough. The 40-percent-fat pork works by the same logic: fat melts into muscle fibers at cooking temperature, keeping the filling moist and tender throughout.