Comfort Food. One of my editors remarked that she couldn’t really picture Varti’s favorite eggy buns. Happy for an excuse to go buy some, I headed to the Asian market and secured a few hexes so I could snap pictures.
Anyone who’s ever been to a dim sum restaurant (or many a Chinese buffet) may already be familiar with the inspiration for eggy buns. Dough is wrapped around a slightly sweet, custardy center made from egg yolks … then steamed.
They’re also quite tasty cold. Lovely with coffee or tea. But they’re meant to be steamed … which is why the filling in the topmost photo has achieved a lovely gloss. They go down fast. So Varti leaving Currant Bun with a several hexes? Solid tactic. He can polish that off, easy. ::twinkle::
Added bonus. The basic bun comes in variations aplenty. Maybe I’ll mix things up for Calibration Day festival buns …?
The ones on the left have a few names, but I liked phoenix buns. They’re completely black, dabbed with metallic gold paint, and the filling is (traditionally) a slightly sweet, slightly gritty custard made from duck yolks that has salt in it! The soft green buns have matcha in them, and they’re filled with a coconut custard … and rolled in coconut! All yum.
FORTHRIGHT 