Nikuman [肉まん] are steamed buns of Chinese origin, filled with pork and other ingredients. One of the typical snacks you find in convenience stores in Japan. Those you saw in Kung Fu Panda.
The nikuman is light and soft, usually placed on a piece of wax paper. It can be found in flavors of pork, beef, pizza, cheese, and even in the sweet flavor of anko, azuki bean.
Stores that sell nikuman often have steam surrounding them, drawing a lot of attention on a cold day. This is one of my favorite snacks along with a karaage and takoyaki.
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Manju – the Origin of Nikuman
The nikuman is a savory steamed bun. The ingredients are similar to those of savory pastries, but it is steamed instead of baked or fried. Its origin comes from a Chinese savory called baozi [包子].
The name nikuman [肉まん] comes from niku which means meat and man which refers to manju, a typical Japanese sweet quite similar made of anko that is also steamed and made from wheat flour.
Manju is also inspired by a Chinese bread called mantou [馒头] that was filled with pork and eel. It can also be made from rice flour and buckwheat flour.
In Japan, it originally came filled with azuki bean paste called anko due to the strong Buddhist influence against carnivorous diets at the time. Over time, the meat bun emerged with the name nikuman.
The origin of manju is uncertain; some claim it arrived through Buddhist monks in 1349, while another version says it came in 1241 through travelers who traded it under the name naramanju.
The Different Flavors of Nikuman
There are also various types of nikuman and manju with different fillings:
- Butaman [豚まん] – Popular in Kansai, filled with pork;
- Anman [あんまん]— Nikuman with azuki bean filling;
- Kare-man [カレーまん]— Nikuman filled with kare (curry);
- Cream cheese man – Cream cheese;
- Pizza man – Filled with pizza;
- Choco-man – Filled with chocolate;
These are the most popular flavors, but each convenience store or snack bar has its own flavors and versions. Let’s list some below:
- Circle K Sunkus
- White curry man;
- Squid ink seafood man;
- Deli chicken man with mayo-style flavor;
- Tom Yum Kun Thai man;
- Ministop
- Crunchy Chinese seafood man;
- Crunchy cheese sausage donut man;
- Boiled pork cube crunchy curry man;
- Crunchy cheese lasagna man;
- Belgian chocolate man;
- FamilyMart
- Cream cheese man;
- Sakura man;
- Choco-man;
- Chestnut man;
- Habanero Kimchi man;
- Hatsune Miku man;
- Lawson
- Milk caramel man;
- Save-On
- Sakura anman;
- Beef tendon man;
- Jiaozi man;
- 7-Eleven
- Choco-man;
- Curry-man;
- Pizza-man;
The fillings are endless… There are probably many other popular flavors of nikuman. Especially in restaurants and other snack bars specializing in nikuman like 551 Horai.
Nikuman Recipe – Prepare Your Own
Nothing better than preparing your Nikuman, if you have access to all the ingredients, enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients for nikuman:
Nikuman Dough:
– 300 g of wheat flour
– 40 g of sugar
– a pinch of salt
– 1 teaspoon of dry yeast for bread
– 2 heaping teaspoons of baking powder
– 50 ml of milk
– 100 ml of warm water
– 1 tablespoon of oil
Nikuman Filling:
– 500 g of ground meat (I use pork)
– 1 bunch of finely chopped green onions
– 2 tablespoons of grated ginger
– 1 bunch of Enoki (a type of mushroom; shiitake can also be used here)
– salt, black pepper
– 3 tablespoons of sesame oil
– If desired, you can add the yolk of a large egg
Preparation of nikuman:
Step 1: In a bowl, place the wheat flour, sugar, salt, dry yeast, baking powder, and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon, gradually adding warm water. Add oil and knead very well (about 15 minutes). The more you knead, the fluffier the dough will be!
Step 2: Let the dough rest for about 1 hour, spraying it with water and covering it with plastic wrap.
Step 3: Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a round shape, making the peripheral part thinner than the central part.
Step 4: Seal the ends of the Nikuman well and place waterproof paper on the bottom. Grease the steamer rack and arrange the Nikumans, spraying them with water. Let them rest for another 40 minutes. When they increase in volume, steam on high heat for 20-30 minutes.
Step 5: Mix everything very well. Rice vinegar sauce:
Mix in a bowl a little rice vinegar, sesame oil, finely chopped green onions, and red pepper powder. Drizzle this sauce over the filling when tasting the nikuman!
Source: https://pt.petitchef.com/
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