History
Ba-wan are believed to have been first made in Beidou township, Changhua County, by Fan Wan-chu, as disaster relief food when heavy floods struck the region in 1898. They have since spread to different regions of Taiwan and are found in most night markets. The traditional wrapper was made with sweet potato starch alone. Ba-wan are cooked by steaming first and may then be deep-fried or gently poached in oil.
Common allergens: Gluten, Pork
Make it at home
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
- Make filling: stir-fry pork until browned, add shiitake, bamboo, soy sauce, Shaoxing and five-spice. Cool. Stir in fried shallots.
- Make skin: whisk hot water into the starch and rice flour mix until it forms a translucent paste.
- 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.
- Steam in a bamboo basket 30 minutes until the skin is translucent.
- Make sauce: bring all sauce ingredients to a boil, simmer 2 minutes until thick.
- 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.
Where to eat ba wan
Ba wan in Taipei
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Taipei. See where to eat Ba wan in Taipei or the Taipei signature dishes guide.
More cities are in research. Want ba wan covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.