Pau, Malaysia

The softest thing I have ever eaten. I could not stop touching the skin of the pau and finally when I did take a bite, I was blown away. The pau is a very simple snack that I found near one of the stations in KL. The unusual whiteness of the bun attracted me to it. My friends were pretty amused that I found the pau so fascinating as it was a very commonplace snack for them. It’s like me coming to Sri Lanka and ogling at malu paan.*

The steamed bun is originally from China where it is known as baozi. As Malaysia is home to a large Chinese population, the bun has now entered Malay cuisine, where it is referred to as pau.   The fillings vary from chicken and beef, to even chocolate. It is unusually soft as the ingredients used are a little different to that used in buns. And finally, the pau is steamed, not baked, and that has resulted in its extremely soft shell.

A good filling makes all the difference. I tried the BBQ Ayam and Kari Ayam, both which were chicken fillings and quite delicious.

Anyone interested in baking should give this steamed bun a go.  I found a recipe for pau and am hoping to make it at home. After Laksa, the simple pau is next on my Malaysian food favourites.

*Sri Lankan fish bun