Gua Bao: Taiwanese Steamed Buns

A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 12 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.

In this class, you'll learn how to make the classic split steamed bun, known as Gua Bao. In Taiwan, the braised pork belly version with pickled mustard greens and peanut powder is a classic street sandwich locals lovingly refer to as “The Taiwanese Hamburger” when talking to foreigners! In this class, we'll be making the bun, filling, and condiments from scratch. This classic street food relies on a braising technique used in Chinese cooking. Whole wheat flour in the bao dough offers a nutty aroma, adding to the savory and sweet pork belly, peanut powder, and spicy salty moments from the mustard greens. It’s a harmonious and beloved combination! Besides the classic braised pork belly, we’ll make another filling: an eggplant version in the three-cup style (if you've heard of three-cup chicken, you will know!) that is sweet and savory. Along with the bao, we'll make a few classic side dishes to complete the meal: smacked cucumbers and braised tofu salad. 

MENU

Braised Pork Belly Gua Bao

Three-Cup Eggplant Gua Bao

Smacked Cucumbers

Braised Tofu and Kombu Salad

This menu contains the following common allergens: Peanuts, Soy, Wheat. If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.

Let’s Cook Together! 

Oakland dumpling maker, Henry Hsu’s past identities have included public health advocate, architect, and designer. He immersed himself in the local Bay Area food scene working at Oakland tofu maker, Hodo Foods for over a decade and most recently spent the past year working at Dumpling Club in San Francisco.  Henry’s perspectives on food are shaped by his Taiwanese heritage, Gulf Coast upbringing, Midwestern education and years of living in Latin America. From immigration to assimilation to seeking cultural identity through his food heritage, he began seeking out what Taiwanese food means to him through cooking, teaching, sharing and storytelling. He’s learned that cultural identity in food is simply not as monolithic and neatly squared away as we’d all like it to be! He also leads food tours, teaches dumpling making, hosts Taiwanese pop-up dinners & occasionally you can find him working a farm stand at a local market!

_{Photo credit: Henry Hsu}