History

Ba wan was invented in 1898 in Beidou, Changhua, by Fan Wan-Chu, after a flood washed away the family's other ingredients and left only sweet-potato flour and pork. The dumpling spread north to Taipei, where it became a Bib Gourmand-recognised dish at Shilin Night Market and Tonghua. Sometimes called 'big circle' for its shape, the skin is intentionally chewy and translucent, distinct from regular jiaozi.

Common allergens: Gluten, Pork

Make it at home

Yield Makes 8 ba wanHands-on 45 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • Skin: 200g sweet-potato starch, 100g rice flour, 400ml hot water
  • Filling: 300g pork shoulder, diced fine
  • 60g bamboo shoots, diced
  • 30g dried shiitake, soaked and chopped
  • 30ml dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice
  • 30g fried shallots
  • Sweet sauce: 60ml ketchup, 30ml miso, 30g sugar, 60ml water, 1 teaspoon cornflour

Method

  1. Make filling: stir-fry pork until browned, add shiitake, bamboo, soy sauce, Shaoxing and five-spice. Cool. Stir in fried shallots.
  2. Make skin: whisk hot water into the starch and rice flour mix until it forms a translucent paste.
  3. Brush oil into 8 small ramekins or dim sum cups. Spread a layer of paste in each, add filling in the centre, cover with more paste.
  4. Steam in a bamboo basket 30 minutes until the skin is translucent.
  5. Make sauce: bring all sauce ingredients to a boil, simmer 2 minutes until thick.
  6. Unmould ba wan, deep-fry briefly in hot oil 30 seconds (or skip and serve straight from the steamer). Glaze with sweet sauce.

Tip from the editors. The translucent skin is the test; if it turns white it's overcooked, if cloudy the water was too cool. Sweet-potato starch is critical for the skin.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat ba wan

Ba wan in Taipei

More cities are in research. Want ba wan covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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