Sinwan Steamed Bun Introduction
Tsai Hsin-chi (born in 1951) is engaged in aquaculture, while his wife Huang Li-chiao (born in 1953) worked in a garment processing factory. In 1986, Huang Li-chiao quit her job at the garment factory to take care of their elementary school-aged child to prevent the child from wandering around after school. To supplement the household income, she sought to develop a family sideline. Since her younger sister had participated in community cooking activities, Huang Li-chiao learned how to make steamed buns and dumplings from her sister. She then set up a stall to sell pan-fried buns and soon added egg pancakes and pan-fried dumplings to the menu. Initially, the pan-fried buns were filled with cabbage, minced pork, and green onions. One year, during the village ritual at Zhuangmiao Jiaying Temple, the whole village had to eat vegetarian food, and meat-filled pan-fried buns were not allowed. Therefore, they switched to only using cabbage for the filling, a practice that continues to this day. Due to the labor-intensive nature of making pan-fried buns, her mother Su Hsueh-yun (born in 1930) helps with the wrapping, while her father Tsai Deng-hsuan (born in 1930) assists with frying. The petite pan-fried buns are made in a daily fixed quantity of only 120 pieces; once sold out, no more will be made, and those who miss out are encouraged to come early the next day. This is the insistence of Xinwen Pan-fried Buns. The outer skin of the buns is made from flour, and the filling consists of cabbage and carrots. The method involves mixing the cabbage and carrots with seasonings the night before and setting them aside, while the flour is combined with an appropriate amount of water...
