Pineapple bun facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Bo lo baau |
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| Type | Sweet bun |
| Place of origin | Hong Kong |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, eggs, flour, and lard |
| Pineapple bun | |||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 菠蘿包 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 菠萝包 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | pineapple bun | ||||||||||||||||
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A pineapple bun (Chinese: 菠蘿包) is a yummy sweet bun. It is super popular in Hong Kong and in Chinatowns all over the world. Even though it's called a pineapple bun, it usually doesn't have any pineapple inside! The name comes from how its top looks. It has a special crust that looks a lot like the bumpy skin of a pineapple.
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A Sweet History
In June 2014, the Hong Kong Government added the pineapple bun to its list of important cultural items. This means it's a special part of Hong Kong's history and traditions. Tai Tung Bakery in Yuen Long helped make this happen. They have been baking pineapple buns for over 70 years!
What's Inside a Pineapple Bun?
The top part of a pineapple bun is what makes it so unique. This crunchy, sweet topping is made from a dough similar to sugar cookies. It uses sugar, eggs, flour, and lard. This top layer is golden-brown and has a checkered pattern, which is why it reminds people of a pineapple's skin.
Underneath this special crust is a soft, sweet bread. This bread is different from European breads because it's usually softer and sweeter. People in Hong Kong love to eat pineapple buns for breakfast or as a snack in the afternoon.
The Buttered Pineapple Bun
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Many restaurants in Hong Kong, like cha chaan tengs (tea restaurants), serve a special version called a buttered pineapple bun. In Cantonese, this is known as boh loh yau (菠蘿油). Boh loh means "pineapple," and yau means "oil," which refers to the butter.
When you order one, the bun often comes hot from the oven. It's usually cut in half, and a thick slice of cold butter is placed inside. The warm bun melts the butter, making it extra delicious! Sometimes, instead of butter, they might use custard.
Other Fun Pineapple Bun Flavors
Pineapple buns come in many different sizes and with various fillings. You can find tiny ones called mini pineapple buns (迷你菠蘿包). Some are used to make sandwiches with luncheon meat (餐肉菠蘿包).
You can also find them stuffed with sweet fillings like:
- Red bean paste (紅豆菠蘿包)
- Custard cream (奶黃菠蘿包)
- Barbecued pork (叉燒菠蘿包)
- Shredded coconut, like in a cocktail bun (椰絲菠蘿包)
And yes, you can even find a "pineapple pineapple bun" (菠蘿菠蘿包) that actually has pineapple inside!
Other countries have similar buns too. Japanese melonpan and Korean soboro bread have a similar crunchy topping. However, their tops don't usually look like a pineapple.
See also
In Spanish: Bollo de piña para niños
