Hakka Taro Buns

Just past White Dew (Bailu), the autumn air is beginning to settle in, and taro is at its most fragrant. Today I’m sharing a traditional Hakka Taro Buns (客家芋頭包) recipe, made with a soft and chewy taro rice-flour wrapper and a savory pork filling with shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and shallots.

The taro is coarsely shredded and sautéed with fried shallots, white pepper, and a little salt, then mixed with glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and sweet potato starch to make the wrapper. Once steamed, the taro wrapper is soft and chewy, with a delicate taro aroma and little strands of taro adding texture.

The savory filling combines ground pork, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and shallots, slowly stir-fried until fragrant and finished with fried shallots. Wrapped inside the taro rice dough and steamed together, each Hakka Taro Bun has a soft, chewy wrapper and a generous, flavorful filling.

Each bun is generously filled. After steaming, lightly brushing the surface with oil while still hot helps keep the wrapper soft and prevents it from drying out or cracking.

I especially love simple, traditional Hakka rice dishes like this. The aromas of taro, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp, and fried shallots come together layer by layer, creating a comforting homemade flavor. I hope you’ll enjoy this traditional Hakka Taro Buns recipe and give it a try at home.

Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients (Makes 12)

Filling:
300 g ground pork
25 g dried shiitake mushrooms (about 70 g after soaking)
30 g dried shrimp (about 40 g after soaking)
70 g shallots
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp fried shallots
3 tbsp water

The cooked filling weighs about 504 g. Divide into 12 portions, about 42 g each.

Taro Wrapper:
350 g taro
1 tbsp cooking oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
2 tbsp fried shallots
⅓ cup water
180 g glutinous rice flour
75 g rice flour
30 g sweet potato starch
1 tbsp sugar
about 130 g water

The prepared wrapper dough weighs about 866 g. Divide into 12 portions, about 72 g each.

Tip: The moisture content of taro can vary. Add the 130 g water gradually and adjust slightly as needed depending on the consistency of the dough.

 

Preparations

Filling

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms until softened, then dice. Soak the dried shrimp until softened, then finely chop. Finely chop the shallots.
2. Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Add the ground pork and stir-fry over medium heat until the pork turns pale and releases some of its fat.
3. Add the shallots and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and dried shrimp, and continue stir-frying until aromatic.
4. Add the soy sauce, vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Stir-fry until evenly combined.
5. Add 3 tbsp water and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in the fried shallots. Remove from the heat and let the filling cool.

 

Taro Wrapper

1. Peel the taro and grate into coarse shreds.
2. Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pan. Add the shredded taro, salt, white pepper, fried shallots, and ⅓ cup water. Stir-fry over medium-low heat.
3. Cook just until the taro begins to soften. It does not need to be fully cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sweet potato starch, and sugar.
5. Add the cooked shredded taro and mix well. Gradually add about 130 g water, mixing as you go, then knead until a soft dough forms and holds together.
6. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rest for about 10 minutes to allow the flours to fully absorb the moisture.

 

Fill, Shape, and Steam

1. Divide the wrapper dough into 12 portions, about 72 g each. Divide the filling into 12 portions, about 42 g each.
2.  Take one portion of dough and gently flatten it. Place one portion of filling in the center.
3. Gently push the wrapper upward around the filling. Pinch the opening tightly to seal, then shape into a smooth, rounded bun.
4. Place each bun on a small piece of parchment paper and arrange in the steamer.
5. Once the water comes to a boil, place the steamer over the pot and steam over high heat for about 22 minutes.
6. After steaming, remove the buns and, while still hot, lightly brush the surface with cooking oil. This helps keep the taro buns soft and prevents the surface from drying out or cracking.