Chinese steamed buns, or mantou which literally means "steamed bread" "head", is one of my favorite breakfast foods. It's like the white bread of the Western world. It has no real flavor, is not that nutritious, but is oh so good. Personally, I think it's a bit sweet, like water.
Growing up, we'd eat the plain, white variety with shredded, dried pork or rou song which literally means "pork loose". And it's funny that Wikipedia also has it listed as "meat wool" and "meat floss". I worked with someone who described it as dust, and thus would not eat it.
When I lived in Taiwan, my eyes were opened to all sorts of varieties - taro, multigrain, wheat, cream, etc. They paired it with lunch meat, egg, alfalfa sprouts, peanut butter, Chinese sausage, etc. Oh, I salivate as I write even if you are cringing.
Recently, I introduced a mantou and rou song to our 19-mo old for breakfast. He didn't care for the mantou but he LOVED the rou song. Ate it in HANDFULS! He got rou song all over his chest and in the crevices of the high chair. I was so proud! Hehe…
This story is partly to introduce some of you to mantou. You can find them in the freezer/refrigerator section of an Asian supermarket. The best brands, in my opinion, are from Taiwan -- Yimei, Chimei, etc. When thawed, just pop them in the microwave for 15 sec (each mantou) and you have a nice warm treat. The rou song can be found with other dry foods. It comes in tubs (which we buy) and little containers. There is plain rou song and varieties with seaweed and sesame seeds (our favorite).
However, I wanted to tell this story mostly because since the second word of mantou is "tou", which means "head", whenever I say "mantou", J puts both hands on his head. When he sees mantou on the table, he puts both hands on his head.
Yes, J, you are my little mantou.
P.S. MIL says J's feet are like mantou too. Hehe.
Share an ethnic food with me!
What ethic food have you shared with your children?
What did they think?
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