Tuchengzi Zanbo Handmade Buns Introduction
Chen Ding-hui's grandfather, Chen Lao-gang (born in 1902), originally opened a grocery store at the current location on Chengbei Road. When his uncles divided the family property, his father, Chen Zan-tong (born in 1953), took over this store and changed it to sell rice and feed. In 1998, Chen Zan-tong began making handmade dumplings (baozi) and steamed buns (mantou) for sale. In 2003, the store was passed on to brothers Chen Ding-fu and Chen Ding-hui. The older brother, Chen Ding-fu, manages breakfast in the morning, while the younger brother, Chen Ding-hui, operates in the afternoon selling only handmade dumplings and steamed buns. The meat bun contains only pork belly, while the vegetable bun includes mushrooms, vegetarian ingredients, and preserved vegetables, all made starting at 10 AM and ready by 1 PM. The steamed buns are baked in two batches: the first from noon to 3 PM and the second from 3 PM to 6 PM, coming out staggeredly. In addition to plain steamed buns, there are also cranberry steamed buns and multigrain steamed buns. The cranberry steamed buns are made by mixing cranberries with the dough, giving them a unique flavor; the multigrain steamed buns are made with whole wheat flour, five-grain rice, raisins, and the dough mixed together. It is worth mentioning that every day, they save some fermented dough and keep it in the refrigerator to continue fermenting into "old dough," which they will mix with new dough the next day to make dumplings or steamed buns.
