Koah-pauA traditional gua bao |
| Alternative names | cuapao |
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| Course | Snack, delicacy, main dish, side dish |
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| Place of origin | China |
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| Region or state | Fujian |
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| Serving temperature | Hot |
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| Main ingredients | Lotus leaf bread, stewed meat, condiments |
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| Ingredients generally used | Red-cooked pork belly, pickled mustard, coriander, ground peanuts |
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| Variations | Fried chicken, fish, eggs, stewed beef, lettuce |
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Koah-pau or gua bao or cuapao also known as a pork belly bun, ambiguously as bao, or erroneously as bao bun, is a type of lotus leaf bun originating from Fujianese cuisine in China. It is also a popular snack in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Nagasaki Chinatown in Japan.
It consists of a slice of stewed meat and condiments sandwiched between flat steamed bread known as lotus leaf bread (荷葉餅; héyèbǐng). The lotus leaf bread is typically 6–8 centimetres (2.4–3.1 in) in size, semi-circular and flat in form, with a horizontal fold that, when opened, gives the appearance that it has been sliced. The traditional filling for gua bao is a slice of red-cooked pork belly, typically dressed with stir-fried suan cai (pickled mustard greens), coriander, and ground peanuts.
