[Photo/Zhejiang Daily]
The "Xiaozai" (meaning expelling bad lucks) steamed bun from the Yuyuan village in Yuyuan town, Wuyi county, Jinhua, has a history of 800 years.
As an essential delicacy during the Chinese New Year, every household in the area masters the art of making it.
Entering the depths of the alley in Yuyuan village, one can find Luo Junhao busy kneading dough in the kitchen.
He skillfully rolls small dough balls, wraps them around a small clump of glutinous rice, and molds them into uniformly shaped semicircular buns. Finally, he lays the finished buns neatly in the steamer.
Unlike ordinary steamed buns, the "Xiaozai" bun does not use yeast during the fermentation process. Instead, Luo adds homemade sweet rice wine, allowing the flour to naturally ferment. Once steamed, the buns double in size.
With each bite, the taste buds are instantly awakened by the sweet aroma of rice wine, offering a completely different texture compared to regular steamed buns – a delightful balance of softness and fluffiness.
Luo said that in order to better cater to customers' dining preferences, he made modifications to the size of the buns. The improved buns have been well-loved by customers, with many becoming regular patrons. Currently, Luo and his family make thousands of buns every day.
