Siopao is a Filipino steamed bun filled with meat, similar to Chinese baozi. The two traditional versions are asado, made with stir-fried and marinated meat, and bola-bola, made with sausage and ground beef. Siopao is commonly sold on the streets of the Philippines and can be found in Chinese and Filipino restaurants worldwide.
Siopao is a steamed bun filled with meat that is part of traditional Filipino cuisine. It is very similar to and probably derives from small Chinese dumplings known as baozi. In general, all of these are filled with either pork or beef and the bun is normally thick and starchy. The Filipino versions are normally meant to be eaten without utensils and can make up an entire meal, much like a sandwich; in China, they are more often served as appetizers, often as dim sum. There are two traditional versions of siopao, asado, made with stir-fried and marinated strips of meat, and bola-bola, made with sausage and ground beef. Food stalls and casual eateries throughout Southeast Asia are perhaps the most common places to find sandwiches of all varieties and variations, but they’re also served in Filipinos and Chinese restaurants around the world are usually quite easy to prepare even at home.
Basic concept
Meat-filled buns are quite common in many Asian cuisines, perhaps in part due to their versatility and ease of preparation. They’re often a good way to use up leftover meat, and the portability of the final product is often really valuable for people on long commutes or wanting a quick meal or snack on the go. The buns are also always steamed which also usually means they are very easy to cook. They are commonly paired with a range of dipping sauces.
Fundamental ingredients
There are two main components to these sandwiches: the meat filling and the doughy exterior. The filling is usually a little looser than the sandwich itself, though there’s room for experimenting and substitution on both sides. Normally, the bun is made from rice or wheat flour, water, and sometimes an additional starch; egg is also sometimes included depending on the recipe. The dough is normally sticky, often to the point of being almost rubbery, and is typically very thick.
Cooks pat the dough into a round dish, then scoop a meat mixture — usually precooked, pre-seasoned pork or beef — into the center. The edges are then brought up and sealed. Some cooks are quite artistic with their folding and create intricate scalloped edges, while others just aim to seal things shut. The finished buns are then placed in a steamer basket and held over hot water for as long as it takes to knead. Even when perfectly cooked, most buns have a sticky feel.
Roasted variety
Asado rolls are made with pork or beef cooked in soy sauce and seasonings. This variety tends to be the most popular type and can be found in both street vendors and restaurants in the Philippines. The meat is always pre-cooked, as buns are not normally steamed long enough to properly cook anything raw. Some cooks prepare meat specifically for sandwiches, and this is often how street vendors and restaurants operate. At home, however, many cooks use sandwiches as something creative for leftovers. Beef and pork that have previously been part of another meal can find new life as a bread stuffing. The dough for asado-style rolls is almost always made from rice flour.
Buns Ball
Bola-bola sandwiches are distinguished by the meat they use: rather than employing strips or shreds of marinated meat, they’re made with pork and Chinese sausage. Even the roll itself can be slightly different, and is often made with wheat flour and sometimes egg as well. The egg can give the roll a more golden look when steamed.
Chinese variations
The Chinese version of siopao is called baozi. Baozi is thought to date back to the Three Kingdoms period in China which lasted from AD 220 to 265. According to legend, a military commander known as Zhuge Liang concocted this food in the shape of a human head as a religious offering when his troops came down with the plague. This food was originally called mantou, which means flour head. It is still called that in parts of southern China, but is now mostly called baozi.
According to local lore, the basic idea of baozi was brought to the Philippines by an immigrant named Ma Mon Luk. He was poor but had knowledge of the foods he grew up on, including baozi. He soon he started selling food on the streets. Eventually he got a small restaurant and it became very popular.
The foods served by Ma Mon Luk eventually became part of the Filipino culture. The name siopao translates as “steamed bun” and eventually replaced baozi in common parlance. They are still popularly sold on the streets of the Philippines and can be found in Chinese and Filipino restaurants in other countries. These sandwiches are commonly part of dim sum cuisine, which are small portions of finger foods served with tea.
Popular modifications
In northern China, the steamed buns are still known as mantou, the original name. They are normally made with wheat flour rather than rice flour. Mantou are not always filled and can be fried and dipped in sweetened condensed milk. Japanese cuisine also features a steamed bun known as a nikuman. These are also often made with a pork filling, but differ when it comes to traditional sauces, marinades, and dressings.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
