I&J Bao Buns: serve up a dessert with a difference!
THE SOFT TEXTURE AND SALTY YET SWEET PROFILE of I&J Bao Buns not only makes them an ideal choice for savoury applications – they’re also a great way to present a dessert with a difference, one whose eye-catching presentation is matched by its taste!
While Bao Buns are rapidly becoming a popular item on the finger food platter or as part of a savoury buffet, many chefs are also recognising their potential on the dessert menu. You can steam, then lightly deep fry and serve with a variety of fillings, which evoke contemporary dessert flavours.
And with I&J Bao Buns available in both White and Charcoal, you can also choose your dessert fillings so as to create striking colour complements as well as terrific taste sensations.
Simplot Australia, which owns the I&J brand, has developed a range of dessert recipes for which Bao Buns are the perfect fit – from an Asian style dessert with green tea ice cream, sesame praline and ginger syrup in a Charcoal Bao Bun, to a White Bao Bun in Mediterranean presentation style with honey syrup and walnuts, evoking a contemporary twist on the traditional Greek Baklava.
Simplot Executive Chef David White explains: “With freezer and coolroom space in short supply in today’s modern foodservice environment, chefs appreciate being able to use one product across multiple applications and the fact that I&J Bao Buns can be used for both savory and sweet menu items makes them an ideal choice.”
“Bao Buns have a very subtle, almost ‘neutral’ flavour and when you steam them and allow them to cool before deep frying, they take on a doughnut-like texture. Then you can fill them up with whatever you want, which makes them ideal for dessert.”
Since hitting the market last year, I&J Bao Buns have proven a great success. “Their suitability for both savoury and sweet applications means they’re very versatile and certainly not only for Asian Fusion cuisine,” David emphasises. “As Australia has become such a melting pot of cuisines, it’s not unusual to find Bao Buns on pub and club menus now. We’re seeing them served as canapes, finger food, sliders filled with pulled pork or chicken. I think the key appeal with the I&J Bao Buns is the authentic light airy texture – they’re not at all a heavy snack. And when you alternate the I&J Charcoal and White buns in a platter you can create quite a striking presentation. They’re doing really well on bar snack menus and as function finger food, and they also make a great entrée – if you want to do an Asian inspired platter a couple of these will go really well.”
I&J Bao Buns are part of the new I&J Fusion range which also includes I&J Prawn Shaomai and I&J Shrimp & Chive Gyoza. Each item in the range is hand made in Asia to traditional recipes, delivering perfectly balanced flavour notes and great textures to ensure they remain authentic to their cuisine origins, and all come individually quick frozen and portion controlled to minimise wastage. The Fusion range is quick and easy to use. Select the portions you need, heat from frozen, add your signature elements to create an amazing plate and serve.
Download the I&J Fusion range brochure
