Hsinwen Pan-Fried Buns Introduction
Tsai Hsien-chi (born 1951) is engaged in aquaculture, while his wife, Huang Li-chiao (born 1953), worked in a garment processing factory. In 1986, Huang Li-chiao quit her job at the garment factory to take care of their child attending elementary school, to prevent the child from wandering around after school. To supplement the family income and urgently think about developing a family side business, Huang Li-chiao learned to make stuffed buns and mantou from her sister, who had participated in community cooking activities. She then set up a stall at home selling shui jian bao (pan-fried buns) and soon added egg pancakes and pot stickers to the menu. At the beginning of the business, the shui jian bao was filled with cabbage, ground pork, and scallions. One year, during the temple ritual at the Zhuang Miao Jia Ying Temple, the entire village had to eat vegetarian, so they switched to making shui jian bao filled only with vegetables, which has continued to this day. Since making shui jian bao is labor-intensive, Huang Li-chiao’s mother, Su Hsueh-yun (born 1930), helps with the filling, while her father, Tsai Deng-hsuan (born 1930), assists with frying. The petite shui jian bao is made in a limited quantity of only 120 pieces daily; once sold out, no more are made, and customers are advised to come early the next day. This is the commitment of Xinwen Shui Jian Bao. The outer skin of Xinwen Shui Jian Bao is made of flour, and the filling is: ...
