Top 22 Chinese Pastries

One of the most famous Chinese desserts is the classic egg tart, a delicious pastry consisting of a flaky outer shell with a creamy, but firm egg custard in the center. The origin of this traditional Chinese dessert is vague. It is believed that it grew out of Chinese contacts with western culinary traditions, but it is also likely that some form of an egg custard existed before the influence of the West. Chinese egg tart variety is believed to be a cross between the classic British egg custard, which is much creamier than the Chinese tart, and the famous Portuguese tarts, known as pastéis de nata, which are especially popular in Macau. Egg tarts first appeared in the Chinese region Guangdong, to eventually be taken to Hong Kong and Singapore where they also became one of the most beloved desserts. The main characteristic of the Chinese variety is the rich cream, which is firm and thick, with a strong and enhanced egg flavor. Both crumbly shortbread pastry (usually made with lard) and the crunchy puff pastry can be used as a shell. Occasionally, these tarts are flavored with ginger or green tea, and they should always be served warm, straight out of the oven. Egg tarts are the essential dessert of every dim sum meal, and a sweet delicacy commonly served in the Cantonese Asian restaurants. These tiny treats can also be found in traditional Chinese bakeries and coffee houses throughout the world.Expand

Pineapple buns are golden, crispy-crusted, sweet pastries originating from Hong Kong. Despite their name, they don't contain pineapple, but are named after the chequerboard pattern of the crust that visually resembles the skin of a pineapple. An important part of Hong Kong's cultural heritage, they are made with only four ingredients - flour, lard, sugar, and eggs. Crispy and sugary on the exterior and soft on the inside, it is a favorite food of many locals due to its inexpensive price. The buns are usually eaten for breakfast or in the afternoon with tea. One popular variation known as boh loh yaau is commonly consumed with milk tea and served with butter inside the bun. It is known as one of the unhealthiest snacks in the country due to high amounts of cholesterol and fat. As the buns spread all over the world and became more popular, several other varieties were created, stuffed with coconut, pork, cream, or red bean paste.Expand

Nuomici is a ball-shaped pastry made with glutinous rice flour. Most commonly, it is rolled in desiccated coconut. Its interior is often filled with ingredients such as sugar, peanuts, azuki bean paste, and black sesame seed paste. The dessert is quite popular in China (especially in the Guangdong province) and Hong Kong. Nuomici is very similar to the Japanese mochi, but the dough in nuomici is steamed instead of boiled, resulting in a texture that is much softer than mochi's. This sweet treat can be found in numerous bakeries throughout Hong Kong, due to it being one of the most popular pastry varieties.Expand

Youtiao is one of the most popular breakfast foods in China, consisting of Chinese breadsticks that are fried in pairs and connected in the middle. The result is a puffy snack that is crispy on the exterior and tender on the interior. Youtiao dates back to the Song Dynasty when the leader Qin Gui, under the influence of his wife, executed a general named Yue Fei, who was loved by the people. As a sign of protest, a cook made a pair of breadsticks that were shaped to resemble human beings (the leader and his wife), and symbolically deep-fried them in hot oil. That is how youtiao got its nickname - you zha gui, literally translated to deep fried ghosts. Today, the snack is usually accompanied by hot soy milk, rice porridge, or a soup filled with pork, beef, or shrimp.Expand

Beef bun is a Hong Kong-style pastry. It consists of dough that's filled with ground beef, often with the addition of chopped onions or curry, then shaped into a roll and baked. The dough is usually made with a combination of sugar, flour, water, milk, yeast, and cream. Before baking, the bun is brushed with sugar water in order to develop a nice glaze. The buns can be found in most Hong Kongese bakeries or Chinatown bakeries overseas. Most local bakeries place a dollop of seaweed or garlic to make beef buns stand out.Expand

Curry beef triangle is a pastry originating from Hong Kong. In order to prepare it, the dough is shaped into a circle, then usually filled with a combination of ground beef, onions, garlic, curry powder, and peas. It is then folded into a triangle, sealed with beaten eggs, and fried in oil over high heat. If properly prepared, the outside should be thick, crunchy, and flaky while the interior remains succulent.Expand

Snow skin mooncake is a Chinese dessert with origins in Hong Kong. It is a non-baked mooncake, characterized by its crust, which looks snow white in color, and is prepared with frozen glutinous rice. However, some cooks like to add colorful juices to the crust, changing the dessert's original appearance. The interior is filled with numerous ingredients which can be either sweet or savory, such as duck egg yolks, carrots, strawberries, and dragonfruit. Snow skin mooncake is traditionally prepared and consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it is recommended to serve it cold and as fresh as possible.Expand

An ancient Chinese delicacy eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival, known as mooncake, is a pie-like pastry made with a shortcrust base called yueh ping that is traditionally filled with black sesame seed or lotus seed paste, along with red beans, roasted pork, mung beans, dates, and salted duck egg yolks. Nowadays, mooncakes are available in a variety of different sweet and savory fillings, some of which are fruits like honeydew, litchi or pineapple; chocolate or mixed nuts; abalone and seaweed; green tea, and even cream cheese or ice cream. Their round shape is not only reminiscent of the moon, but also a symbol of return or a full circle, which in Chinese philosophy stands for fulfillment, oneness, perfection, and unity. Mooncakes are meant to be shared among people, so they are typically enjoyed sliced into small wedges and usually served with Chinese tea. In ancient times, these pastries were prepared as an offering to the Moon, but over centuries they have become the most popular food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Listed as a public holiday and an intangible cultural heritage, the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival is one of China’s most important traditions celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month when the full moon is said to be at its brightest and closest to Earth.Expand

Although some may think this Chinese delicacy is a fruit, it is actually a white pastry bun with a reddish tip, visually mimicking the shape of a peach. It can be stuffed with either red bean paste, lotus paste, or custard. Longevity peaches are commonly found at Chinese birthday parties and banquets due to the fact that peaches have been a sacred item for the Chinese people for a long time. More specifically, the dish represents a celestial peach that ripens once every few thousand years, and the legend says that those who consume it will achieve immortality. It can also be found at most Chinese pastry shops, supermarkets, and food stalls, arranged into impressive displays. With their intricate story and a symbolic meaning of respect for the elderly, longevity peaches belong to one of the most popular Chinese pastries.Expand

Cream bun belongs to a group of traditional Chinese buns hailing from Hong Kong. Like most other varieties of Chinese sweet buns, this one also consists of a soft and fluffy yeast dough that’s typically made with a combination of bread flour, yeast, eggs, condensed milk, unsalted butter, tangzhong (a mixture of bread flour and water), custard powder, milk powder, salt, and sugar. This classic bun can be recognized by its elongated elliptical shape; the nice, golden surface resulting from the use of egg wash, and the characteristic split down the middle. After baking, the sweet buns are usually cut open, brushed with sugar glaze, covered with shredded coconut, and filled with cream. For the filling, buttercream is believed to be the most traditional choice, although whipped cream and coconut-flavored cream are also commonly used. In China, cream buns are typically enjoyed for breakfast or as hearty snacks.Expand