🍽️ Tibetan Bun

Yak-meat Tibetan bun, grassland bite.

The Tibetan Bun is a classic steamed staple of the grasslands in Gannan, Gansu, most characteristically filled with yak meat. Leavened dough is rolled into wrappers and stuffed with freshly diced yak, often mixed with a little fat or sheep tail fat for richness, pleated at the top and steamed until fluffy. The buns are large, white and pillowy; eaten hot, they burst with savory juice and a deep, gamey meat aroma, yak flesh being firm rather than dry. They are traditionally dipped in garlic puree or chili powder and balanced with butter tea. Herders, monks and townspeople in Gannan alike enjoy them daily, and they appear at festivals and gatherings. The bun is both a representative highland Tibetan food and a must-try for visitors to the Gannan grasslands.