China's famous baozi

The public hailed President Xi Jinping after he made a man-of-the-people appearance at the Qing Feng steamed bun restaurant in Beijing on December 28, 2013.

A steamed bun is a type of traditional food in China and is believed to have been invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). Steamed buns are normally stuffed with vegetables or pork and wrapped in a soft flour shell.

So let's take a look at some of the steamed buns China is famous for:

Jiasan juicy steamed buns

The Jiasan restaurant is famous for its Muslim-style juicy steamed buns. The buns here are made with mutton or beef. People often eat the buns with a special vinegar and chili sauce. Be careful of the hot juice when you eat them!

Din Tai Fung

Starting from a stand in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung is recognized by many gourmet professional as the birthplace of the world's best xiao long bao, or steamed buns. Each bun comes in a bite-sized form with 18 folds. And of course they taste just as good as they look.

Kaifeng juicy steamed buns

Kaifeng steamed juicy buns are said to "look like lanterns when they are lifted by chopsticks and chrysanthemums when they are put down." Different from the common steamed bun, the flour shell for these juicy steamed buns is much thinner and come with an abundant filling which tastes tender and soft.

Goubuli

As the most famous snack of Tianjin, Goubuli steamed buns date back more than 150 years. What makes them so delicious is that all the preparation steps, including selecting ingredients, mixing, stirring, rubbing and rolling, involve special techniques.

Nanxiang steamed stuffed bun

The Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant was founded in 1900 and it is located at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. It is famous for its thin skin, big stuffing, strong flavor and tender meat. Besides the use of refined flour and pork, the Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Bun has many special ingredients. Water, salt, sugar, soy, sesame and ginger are added to make the stuffing.

Sheng jian bao

A typical Shanghai street food, sheng jian bao, or pan-friend buns stuffed with pork, is featured with a crispy shell, and have a full-bodied juicy flavor with tender stuffing and are served in a delicate size. The bottom of the bun is often fried to a gold color, and sesame and chopped green onions are sprinkled on top.