Xuwu Pan-Fried Buns Introduction
Chen Shih-Tzung (born in 1960) started making and selling shui jian bao (water-fried buns) at the age of 27. He initially sold them in Wu City, using a cart to go around nearby villages, working early in the morning until late at night. The price of one shui jian bao started at NT$5. In 2009, he fixed his location to the current site for sales. Xunwu Shui Jian Bao uses medium-gluten flour, with fillings including pork, cabbage, spices, tofu skin, carrot, and scallions. The preparation method is as follows: first, the flour is fermented and set aside. Pork is shredded and stir-fried with scallion oil, tofu skin, and spices, then set aside. The cabbage and carrot are blanched and then stir-fried with scallion oil and seasonings, then set aside. A small piece of fermented dough is flattened, filled with the stir-fried cabbage and shredded pork, then wrapped to form a bun, which is set aside. In the afternoon, the buns are delivered to the market, heated in a pan with a small amount of salad oil. The buns are pressed flat with a hand, water mixed with flour is added, and they are pan-fried for about 6 minutes. After flipping, they are fried for another 4 minutes and then taken out for customers to buy and take away. The added salad oil in the pan prevents the buns from sticking. The water mixture is prepared by combining flour and water.
