Gua bao is a pork belly bun: red-cooked pork belly with pickled mustard greens, coriander and ground peanuts in a folded, steamed lotus leaf bun.

Gua bao originated in the coastal regions of Fujian, from either Quanzhou or Fuzhou, and is believed to have reached Taiwan with Fuzhounese immigrants. In Taiwanese Hokkien it is called tiger bites pig because of the bun's mouth-like shape. It became a popular street food in Taiwan in the 1970s. Michelin lists Lan Chia Guabao, a shop outside National Taiwan University that has run for about 30 years, as a Bib Gourmand.

Where to eat Gua bao in Taipei

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Make it at home

Serves 83 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 8 steamed lotus-leaf-shaped buns (frozen, defrosted)
  • 800g pork belly, skin on
  • 60ml dark soy sauce
  • 30ml Shaoxing rice wine
  • 30g rock sugar
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 piece cinnamon stick
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 30g fresh ginger, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 100g pickled mustard greens, chopped
  • 60g salted peanuts, ground
  • 30g caster sugar
  • Coriander leaves, to serve

Method

  1. Score the pork-belly skin, brown all sides in a heavy pot 8 minutes.
  2. Add Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and five-spice. Cover with 500ml water.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover and braise 2 hours until tender. Cool and slice into 1cm-thick pieces.
  4. Steam the buns in a bamboo basket 8 minutes until soft and puffed.
  5. Mix ground peanuts with caster sugar.
  6. Open each bun; layer in 2 slices of pork belly, a spoonful of pickled mustard greens, sweetened peanut powder and coriander leaves.

Editor tip. The peanut powder must be coarse-ground, not powdered; small chunks give the texture. Make the braise a day ahead and slice when cold for clean cuts.

Common allergens: Gluten, Peanut, Soy.