Hsinwu Pan-Fried Buns Introduction
Chen Shih-Tzung (born in 1960) began making and selling shui jian bao (pan-fried buns) at the age of 27. He initially operated in Wu City, using a vehicle to sell shui jian bao in nearby villages, returning late after a long day. The buns started at a price of 5 NTD each. Since 2009, he has been selling at the current location. The Xianwu Shui Jian Bao uses medium-gluten flour, and the filling includes pork, cabbage, spices, tofu skin, carrots, and green onions. The preparation method is as follows: the flour is fermented and set aside. Pork is shredded and stir-fried with green onions, tofu skin, spices, and set aside. Cabbage and carrots are blanched, then stir-fried with oil and seasonings, and set aside. A small piece of the fermented dough is flattened, filled with the stir-fried cabbage and pork, and then wrapped up to make the buns, which are set aside. In the afternoon, the buns are delivered to the market. In a hot pan, a small amount of salad oil is added, and the buns are placed in the pan. They are pressed down by hand, a mixture of flour and water (粉水) is poured in, and they are pan-fried for about 6 minutes. After flipping, they are fried for another 4 minutes before being removed from the heat, ready for takeout when customers make a purchase. The addition of salad oil in the pan prevents the buns from sticking, and the flour-water mixture is made by mixing flour with water.
