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A pineapple bun is a kind of sweet pastry
popular in Hong Kong, Macau, some other areas in southern China, and in
Chinese communities in North America. They can also be found in bakeries
in Taiwan. |
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Left: A pineapple
bun. |
It is known in
Cantonese as bo lo baau, in which "bo lo" means "pineapple", and "baau" refers
to a kind of bun-like item in Chinese cuisine. It is commonly found in Chinese
bakeries, and is mentioned quite frequently on TV, radio and films in Hong Kong.
The top of the pineapple bun (the part which is made to
resemble a pineapple) is made of a dough similar to that used to make sugar
cookies, which consists of sugar, eggs, flour, and lard. As such, it is crunchy
and is quite sweet compared to the bread underneath. The bread dough underneath
is the same used in Chinese style Western breads, which is a softer and sweeter
dough compared to Western breads. It is a popular pastry for breakfast or
afternoon tea.
Although the pastry is known as "pineapple bun", the traditional version
contains no pineapple. The name "pineapple bun" actually originated from the
fact that its sugary top crust is cooked to a golden-brown color, and because
its checkered top resembles the epicarp of a pineapple.
