Kalapao

I have happy, diesel-scented memories of eating kalapao for pre-sunrise breakfasts at truck stops in Laos, while waiting for a songthaew bus-truck to fill up with enough people to ferry me and my backpack to the next dusty town. This type of steamed bun seems to have originated in the wheat-growing regions of northern China before spreading far and wide under various names. Here’s my stripped-down, back-to-basics version.