Pineapple buns, Hong Kong (菠蘿包, 香港)

With a sugary flaky layer on top of a sweet white bun, bor lor bao, or pineapple buns, are a classic treat from Hong Kong.

There is no pineapple on them, and the naming just comes from the resemblance to the fruit, as the crumbly layer on top is sometimes shaped on a checkered pattern that resembles the skin of the fruit.

Much like their cousins on the oven (the crispy buns with condensed milk), they can be served as a dim sum snack, breakfast, or just as dessert pastry.

It is to be served with a slice of cold butter wedged in between, and the idea is that when biting into it, you will have an explosion of semi-melted butter mixed with soft bread and the crunchy shell…

This pastry is so rooted within Hong Kong’s culture that in 2014, Hong Kong’s Government listed the pineapple bun as a part of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage.

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