"Manapua is Hawaiian slang for the Chinese food cha siu bau (pork-filled bun). The word does not mean "chewed-up" (mana) "pork" (puaʻa) in the Hawaiian language, as its spelling suggests. Rather, the current form is a shortening of meaʻono-puaʻa, meaning "pork cake" (meaʻono = "cake"). In the US mainland, the Chinese term is commonly used. The Chinese brought this dim sum item with them when they were brought over as plantation workers. This food usually consists of a white bun with a red-colored shredded pork filling. The bun is occasionally baked, but is more frequently steamed when it is made."
Manapua is super yummy and a favorite treat in our home. Here is a picture of one that I made:
Now I can't take all the credit. I learned how to make this thanks to my friend Cristina. She is from Hawaii and actually knew Andrew in high school. Small world. She and I share a love of Asian and Hawaiian foods, so we are becoming fast friends. We made 80 buns and split it up between us. Sadly the 40 buns I took home barely lasted us a week and I will need to make more soon. We had a great time and the results were fab, even Andrew couldn't believe how authentic they were.
So to the Smith clan, the next time we are together I look forward to making this for you all. You can act surprised if you want to, hehe!
4 comments:
I honestly don't think I've ever had manapua before. How could this be so you might ask? Well let me tell you. My first recollection of manapua was when I saw Andrew eating some and I asked him what it was. In an attempt to get me off of his back, he told me that manapua was not filled with tasty pork goodness, but with cat meat. I guess that affected me pretty severely because I still have not had one. Tragic, I know.
Around here, people commonly refer to Manapua as "Sweet Buns". My FAVORITE ones are the kind with sweet potato or yams inside. Mmmmm. You can get them in just about any Asian food store and in some of the major supermarkets in CA. I guess there aren't a lot of Asians in TN, right?
Yeah, Andrew told ME they were cat meat too.
I think I've had a chicken manapua once though. I made SURE it was chicken before I ate it. Very ono.
Do you have a recipe Amy?
I'm sure cat meat tastes like chicken! Right?!? (The most delicious meat my taste buds have ever met was cow tongue on a shishkabob skewer in Japan.) I made "chicken" manapua one time when we lived in TVA, but da most ono I ever tasted is 7-11 Hawaii's one (best musubi, too)! And, Amy darlin', I bet I can tell you in six letters why your huge supply of manapua disappeared in under a week:
A-N-D-R-E-W
Chant with me everybody:
We wanna recipe where, over there. . . in our in-Boxes!
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