Spring Onion Stuffed Steamed Bun
A plain steamed bun split open and stuffed to order with a hot stir-fried filling of minced pork, spring onion and dried tofu, eaten from the hand as breakfast.
How to eat it
The vendor cuts a pocket into a hot bun and spoons the filling in while you wait. Hold it in the paper wrapper with both hands and eat it like a sandwich, starting from the open side so the filling does not fall out the back. The bun is soft and absorbs the oil from the filling, so it is not a tidy food. A cup of soy milk or a bowl of rice porridge is the usual partner. If the stall offers a spoon of chilli sauce or pickled vegetable on top, take it; that is how locals eat it.
The story behind the dish
Northern China eats plain steamed buns as a staple, but the Quzhou habit of cutting one open and filling it with a freshly fried mixture is a local twist that turns a bland staple into a complete breakfast. The filling changes a little from stall to stall, though pork, spring onion and dried tofu form the base and chilli is nearly always present. It is one of the cheapest breakfasts in the city and one of the first foods that people from Quzhou say they miss when they move away. Little is written about its origin; it is simply a fixture of the morning street.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.