Northern · dumpling
Goubuli Baozi
狗不理包子 · Gǒubùlǐ Bāozi
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.
Goubuli ('Dogs ignore them') is a Tianjin steamed pork bun chain founded in 1858. The buns are larger than standard baozi, with 18 pleats per bun (a marker of the cook's skill) and a juicy minced-pork-and-broth filling. The original Shandong Road branch is the institutional house; the chain has expanded across China.
Where to try
Tianjin: original Shandong Road branch. Beijing branches in many districts.
Dietary notes
Pork, wheat.
Other north dishes
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Hand-Grasped Lamb手把肉
Boiled mutton eaten with the hands. The social centrepiece of an Inner Mongolian steppe meal.