by Sharlene

Pork floss buns #weekendcooking

 

It’s a bit tricky explaining pork floss (also available as chicken or fish floss, also known as rousong or yuk sung in Mandarin and Cantonese respectively) to someone who’s not eaten it before. It’s made of meat yes but has a sweet-savory taste as it’s cooked with soy sauce and sugar and shredded (here’s a recipe). It’s very popular in places like Taiwan and Singapore. I used to bring pork floss sandwiches to primary school when I was growing up in Singapore. 

Some years ago, the pork floss buns became popular in bakeries in Singapore. It’s a soft bun topped with meat floss. I never was quite sure what exactly sticks the meat floss to the bun. But now I do.

I’m not big on the pork floss bun mostly because I don’t like the commercial bakery version of the topping.

So having looked up some recipes, I learnt that it’s a combination of kewpie mayo (Japanese-style mayo), condensed milk, and something sticky – I’ve seen maple syrup in one recipe and corn syrup in another. I decided to use honey. Weird huh, but strangely kinda tasty. 

You really only need to slap a thin layer on top of your bun, then pile on the pork floss. It’s how the floss sticks on to the bun. 

In case you’re wondering, you can buy pork floss from many Asian supermarkets. I bought this one from Costco. Pork floss is also a great topping for porridge or rice. Also, the other day, our neighbour dropped off a sticky rice roll from a local eatery. It was something I’d never eaten before, but so delicious. It was a youtiao or a savoury fried dough stick, topped with pork floss and pickled radish and wrapped in rice. I later googled it and it’s a Shanghai breakfast rice roll or “ci fan”, 粢饭. 

Unfortunately I didn’t take a photo before we finished it (it was that good), so please check out the blog above for photos and a recipe.

(Edited to add) I made the buns using a Hokkaido milk bread recipe, it uses my favorite tangzhong method for a soft crumb. And instead of making a loaf I shaped it into a dozen small buns.

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14 Comments

  1. That’s a totally unfamiliar bakery product to me. Did you make the buns yourself? Or just add the pork to a purchased bun? Americans evidently aren’t the only people who like everything sweet!

    be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I have never seen the sticky rice roll in the UK, I would reckon that no one even makes it, but it does sound good.
    Pork floss was one of those things relatives always used to bring over if they went to HK/were visiting. Along with dried scallops.
    Denise

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Very interesting! I never heard of these, either. Sounds somewhat similar in taste to a pulled pork sandwich here in the U.S., though. Those buns look amazing!

    Liked by 1 person

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