Siopao

Siopao is a Filipino steamed bun with meat filling. It can be consumed anytime of the day. I personally love to have this for brunch when I miss to take my breakfast. It’s a tasty treat for those on-the-go and for people who enjoy a simple yet delicious meal in a budget. It’s so convenient to eat that you can eat this dish with just one hand.

Siopao, or more formally known as baozi, is a surprisingly popular and omnipresent food in the Philippines and Thailand (salapao). Literally meaning “steamed buns”, these treats are composed of steamed flour with meat filling.

In the Philippines, the history of the siopao started with the entrepreneur Ma Mon Luk. He traveled to the Philippines in 1918 to escape a broken heart and became the perpetrator of the siopao, siomai and mami business.

Siopao is a larger version of Chinese dumplings. Traditionally, the two kinds of siopao are asado and bola-bola. Other kinds can be made, and the fillings for siopao are limitless.

Asado siopao is made with pork or beef cooked in soy sauce and seasonings. Bola-bola siopao is made with pork and Chinese sausage, which are baked with egg and flour. The dough is made from rice flour. Asado is the most popular kind, and can be found in the Philippines at both street vendors and restaurants.

I usually bring with me a siopao whenever I go for a long travel for my ‘baon’. So the next time you go for a long travel, or miss a meal, grab a siopao to ease your hunger.