Chinese bakery
Encyclopedia
Chinese bakery products consists of pastries
, cake
s, snacks, and desserts
of largely Chinese origin, though some are derived from Western baked goods. Some of the most common Chinese bakery products include mooncake
s, sun cakes, egg tart
s, and wife cakes.
The Chinese bakeries that produce these products are present in countries of Chinese nationality and across the world in Chinatown
s. The establishments may also serve tea
, coffee
, and other drinks.
-style and Taiwan
-style baked goods, there nevertheless remains significant differences between the two types. For instance, bread cake and pineapple tart was developed in Taiwan-style bakeries, while the cocktail bun
is a Hong Kong style product. Hong Kong bakeries have more western influence due to the 150 years of British rule that ended in 1997. There are also regional differences in overseas cities with large Chinese presences, particularly those in Asia like Singapore
, Kuala Lumpur
, Penang
, Ipoh
, Jakarta
, and Bangkok
.
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
, cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
s, snacks, and desserts
Chinese desserts
Chinese desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea, along with meals or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. The desserts encompass a wide variety of ingredients commonly used in East Asian cuisines such as powdered or whole glutinous rice, sweet bean pastes, and agar...
of largely Chinese origin, though some are derived from Western baked goods. Some of the most common Chinese bakery products include mooncake
Mooncake
Mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings...
s, sun cakes, egg tart
Egg tart
The egg tart or egg custard tart is a kind of custard tart pastry commonly found in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, which consists of an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked...
s, and wife cakes.
The Chinese bakeries that produce these products are present in countries of Chinese nationality and across the world in Chinatown
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
s. The establishments may also serve tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, and other drinks.
Bakery types
Although there are large overlaps in the products sold at Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-style and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
-style baked goods, there nevertheless remains significant differences between the two types. For instance, bread cake and pineapple tart was developed in Taiwan-style bakeries, while the cocktail bun
Cocktail bun
The cocktail bun is a Hong Kong-style bread with a sweet filling of shredded coconut. It is one of several iconic types of baked goods originating from Hong Kong.- History :...
is a Hong Kong style product. Hong Kong bakeries have more western influence due to the 150 years of British rule that ended in 1997. There are also regional differences in overseas cities with large Chinese presences, particularly those in Asia like Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
Eastern-origin pastry
- Almond biscuitAlmond biscuitAlmond biscuit is a type of Chinese pastry. The biscuit is one of the most standard pastries in Hong Kong, and can also be found in some Chinatown bakery shops overseas. Most that are sold overseas are imported from Macau. The biscuits are small with no filling by default...
: A golden, delicate cookie with a light almond taste. - Banana rollBanana rollBanana roll is a common Chinese pastry found in Hong Kong, and may occasionally be found in some overseas Chinatowns. The pastry is soft and made with glutinous rice. Ingredients may vary depending on where it is purchased. Each roll is a vanilla flavored circular tube, slightly bigger than an...
- Beef bunBeef bunBeef bun is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most standard pastries in Hong Kong and can also be found in most Chinatown bakery shops overseas. The bun has a ground beef filling, sometimes include pieces of onions....
- Cha siu baauCha siu baauCha siu bao or char siu bao is a Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled bun . The buns are filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork. They are served as a type of dim sum during yum cha and are sometimes sold in Chinese bakeries.-Variety:...
: This bun can be steamed or baked and is filled with roast porkChar siuChar siu , otherwise known as barbecued meat in China or Chinese-flavored barbecued meat outside China, is a popular way to flavor and prepare pork in Cantonese cuisine. It is classified as a type of siu mei, Cantonese roasted meat...
and onions. - Cocktail bunCocktail bunThe cocktail bun is a Hong Kong-style bread with a sweet filling of shredded coconut. It is one of several iconic types of baked goods originating from Hong Kong.- History :...
: These are sweet and filled with shredded coconut. - Cream bunCream bunCream bun is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most standard pastries in Hong Kong. It can also be found in most Chinatown bakery shops overseas. The bun has either butter cream or whipped cream filling down the middle with coconut sprinkles on the outside...
- Curry beef triangleCurry beef triangleCurry beef triangle is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the standard pastries in Hong Kong. Overseas, it is much more rare in Chinatown bakery shops. Depending on the store, it may not be a standard everyday selection at all...
- Dowry cakeMarry girl cakeDowry cake is a traditional Chinese pastry that was once a ceremonial cake used as wedding gifts in the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, hence the name. Today, this cake is known more as a classic Chinese pastry rather than a wedding gift because it has lost most of its original significance...
- Ham and egg bunHam and egg bunHam and egg bun is a type of Chinese pastry. It contains a sheet of egg and ham. It is commonly found in Hong Kong as well as some Chinatown bakery shops overseas.-See also:*Beef bun*Cuban sandwich*Bánh mì*St. Paul sandwich* List of sandwiches...
- Jin deuiJin deuiJian dui is a type of fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour. The pastry is coated with sesame seeds on the outside and is crisp and chewy. Inside the pastry is a large hollow, caused by the expansion of the dough...
- Lotus seed bunLotus seed bunLotus seed bun is a Chinese pastry found in China. It is sometimes available in overseas Chinatowns. It can be classified as a dim sum, though not exclusively so.-Preparation:...
- MooncakeMooncakeMooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings...
: The traditional variations are heavy lotus seed paste filled pastry, sometimes with 1-2 egg yolks in its centre. Modern variations have altered both the pastry crust and filling for more variety. These are served at the Mid-Autumn FestivalMid-Autumn FestivalThe Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou...
. - NuomiciNuomiciNuomici is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most standard pastries in Hong Kong. It can also be found in most Chinatown bakery shops overseas. It is also referred to as glutinous rice dumpling....
: A sweet glutinous rice dumpling with different fillings such as red bean paste, black sesame paste, and peanuts. - Paper wrapped cakePaper wrapped cakePaper wrapped cake is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most standard pastries served in Hong Kong. It can also be found in most Chinatown bakery shops overseas. In essence, it is a chiffon cake baked in a paper cup....
: Spongy and light, these are plain chiffon cakes wrapped in paper. - Peanut butter bunPeanut butter bunA peanut butter bun is a Chinese pastry found in Hong Kong as well as overseas Chinatown bakery shops. The bun has layers of peanut butter fillings, sometimes with light sprinkles of sugar mixed with the peanut butter for extra flavor. Unlike other, similar buns, the shape varies, depending on the...
- Pineapple bunPineapple bunA pineapple bun is a kind of sweet pastry popular in Hong Kong, Macau, some other areas in southern China, and in various Chinese communities around the world. They can also be found in bakeries in Taiwan or Toronto. It is known in Cantonese as bo lo baau, in which "bo lo" means "pineapple", and...
: This bun does not contain pineapples, but derived its name from the 'pineapple-like' appearance of the top which is a tender crispy, sweet, golden crust. The pineapple bun can be filled with custard and red bean pasteRed bean pasteRed bean paste or Azuki bean paste is a sweet, dark red bean paste originating from China. It is used in Chinese cuisine, Japanese confectionery, and Korean cuisine. It is prepared by boiling and mashing azuki beans and then sweetening the paste with sugar or honey...
. - Pineapple tarts (鳳梨酥): A round or rectangular block shaped shortcrust pastry filled with pineapple jam.
- Sausage bunSausage bunA sausage bun is a type of Chinese pastry. It is essentially the equivalent of the American hot dog. It is found in Hong Kong as well as many Chinese bakeries overseas. It uses westernized sausages instead of Chinese sausages, which are usually used as a cooking ingredient.-See also:*Hot dog...
- SachimaSachimaSachima, also called Shaqima is a common Chinese pastry found in many Chinese-speaking regions. Each regional cuisine has its own slightly different variation of this food, though the appearance of all versions is essentially the same.-Manchu:...
- SouSou (pastry)Sou is a type of dried flaky Chinese pastry found in a variety of Chinese cuisine.-Dim sum:In dim sum restaurants, char siu sou is the most common version available. Other varieties may include century egg and lotus seed paste. These are commonly found in Hong Kong or Singapore in Asia...
- Sweet & sour croissants
- White sugar sponge cakeWhite sugar sponge cakeWhite sugar sponge cake is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most common pastries in Hong Kong. Overseas, however, it is much more rare in Chinatown bakery shops....
- Wife cake: A round flaky pastry with a translucent white winter melon paste centre.
- ZongZongziZongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
Western-influenced pastry
- Egg tartEgg tartThe egg tart or egg custard tart is a kind of custard tart pastry commonly found in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, which consists of an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked...
: This is a delicate pastry tart with a lightly sweet golden egg custard filling. - Swiss rollSwiss rollA Swiss roll or jelly roll is a type of sponge cake roll. The thin cake is made of eggs, flour and sugar and baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, called a sheet pan. The cake is removed from the pan and spread with jam or buttercream, rolled up, and served in circular slices.The...
- Maxim cakesMaxim's CateringMaxim's is Hong Kong's largest food & beverage corporation and restaurant chain. Founded in 1956 by Dr James Tak Wu and his brother S.T...
- Mexican bun
- NapoleonMille-feuilleThe mille-feuille , vanilla slice, cream slice, custard slice, also known as the Napoleon, is a pastry originating in France.Traditionally, a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry , alternating with two layers of pastry cream , but sometimes whipped cream, or jam are substituted...
Drinks
- TeaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
- Bubble teaBubble teaBubble tea is the name for pearl milk tea and other similar tea and juice beverages that originated in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan during the 1980s. Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit and/or milk...
(Boba): Large tapiocaTapiocaTapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
pearls are served in tea with milk. - Milk teaHong Kong-style milk teaHong Kong-style milk tea is a beverage originating from Hong Kong consisting of black tea with evaporated milk or condensed milk. It is usually part of lunch in Hong Kong tea culture...
: black tea sweetened with sweet evaporated milk. - CoffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
: usually served with light cream. - YuanyangYuanyang (drink)Yuanyang or Coffee with tea is a popular beverage in Hong Kong, made of a mixture of coffee and Hong Kong-style milk tea...
: a blend of tea and coffee, popular in Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.