The Bao

A thick, juicy slab of pork belly, pickled greens, fresh and fragrant coriander, a sprinkling of peanuts, neatly stacked and wrapped in a pillowy steamed bun, make the Gua Bao. Gua bao, which translates as “cut bun,” is hard not to love. The Gua Bao, more commonly referred to as just Bao (the ‘Gua’ fell off somewhere along the way), is a Taiwanese specialty that has made its way into the hearts of hungry foodies all over the globe.

The diversity of Taiwan’s people shines through the food. The cuisine is heavily influenced by regional Chinese delicacies. The Gua Bao is an version of the Baozi or steamed bun. Home to some of the world’s best night markets, Taiwan and its people experience these lively alleyway bazaars as a daily affair, and of course Gua Bao can be found nightly at any given market.

Lucky for us, we don’t need to travel that far.

The Gua Bao frequenting in our daily lives owes its international fame to the visionary David Chang of Ssam Bar in the East Village, New York. He caused a sensation back in 2004 when he began serving Baos smeared with hoisin sauce and stuffed with pork belly, cucumbers and scallions, the rest is history and we’re reaping the rewards.

A little while later, the Lower East Side followed suit, and brothers Evan and Eddie Huang, from Fresh of the Boat and Vice fame, opened Baohaus in 2009. Baohaus took off with a minimal menu based on their Taiwanese culinary heritage and hasn’t stopped since.

The Gua Bao has amassed a cult following, from being a simple vender snack known in Asia, to the West. Wellington’s catering for all your bao needs:

Mr Go’s

Kiwi Bao

Hot Sauce

Bite-sized Bao

Bao Boy Bun

Dessert Bao