Pineapple bun
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A pineapple bun is a kind of sweet pastry popular in Hong Kong, and some other areas in southern China. It is known in Cantonese as bo lo baau, in which "bo lo" means "pineapple", and "baau" refers to a kind of bun-like item in Chinese cuisine. It is a part of Hong Kong culture as it is ubiquitously found in bakeries and eateries, and it is also often mentioned on television and radio, and in films.
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[edit] The pastry
The top of the pineapple bun (the part which resembles a pineapple) is crunchy and is quite sweet compared to the bread underneath. The bread is soft and has sweeter dough compared with typical Western bread. It is a popular pastry for breakfast or afternoon tea.
Although the pastry is known as "pineapple bun", the traditional version contains no pineapple. The name "pineapple bun" actually originated from the fact that its sugary top crust is cooked to a golden-brown colour, and because its checkered top resembles the epicarp of a pineapple. The crust is formed with sugar, eggs, flour, and lard. It is high in calorific value (high in carbohydrates, saturated fats and cholesterol), it has been declared one of the top 10 most harmful snack foods in Hong Kong[1].
It is very similar to the Japanese melonpan in its manner of cooking and in the fact that it is named according to its appearance.
[edit] Buttered variant
Many Hong Kong restaurants, such as cha chaan tengs and dai pai dongs, offer an item called a "buttered pineapple bun", which is a pineapple bun with a piece of butter stuffed inside. They are known in Cantonese as bo lo yau (菠蘿油), in which "bo lo " means "pineapple," and "'yau'" (oil) refers to butter.
Typically, the pastry would be brought hot from the oven to the diner's table, and served halved with a large slab of butter in between them. This item is sometimes criticised for containing too much fat and cholesterol.
[edit] Other common variants
The pineapple bun may come in miniature sizes (迷你菠蘿包), and/or it may be used as a bread-roll to sandwich for example luncheon meat (餐肉菠蘿包), or it may be pre-stuffed with red bean paste (紅豆菠蘿包), cream (奶黃菠蘿包), barbecued pork (叉燒菠蘿包), and sweet coconut (椰絲菠蘿包). Amusingly, it is possible to order a pineapple pineapple bun, actually stuffed with pineapple (菠蘿菠蘿包).
[edit] Popular culture
- McDull, the main character in the Hong Kong cartoon film McDull, Prince de la Bun is often seen with a pineapple bun.
- In 2005, "Pineapple Bun" was nominated as a potential typhoon name but was rejected. The director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Lam Chiu Ying, as one of the judges for the naming process, commented: "If we say XX country is being ravaged by Pineapple Bun, that would be too hilarious."
[edit] References
[edit] See also
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