Steamed Piggy Buns

If you’re out for dim sum, likely you’re there for the classics, such as siu mai, radish cake, and steamed buns. But in the last few years, steamed buns have taken on a whole new look. With carefully-shaped tinted dough and sesame seeds, minimalist white buns transform into adorable piggies.

While it’s unknown which dim-sum maker first had the bright idea of making these adorable buns, the style has spread worldwide, fueled by social media. Sometimes the piggy’s features are yellow or red instead of pink, and the filling can vary too. Occasionally, they contain sweet-savory barbecued pork. Other times, the filling is molten, salty egg yolk, but most often a creamy egg custard greets those bold enough to bite into these edible works of art. While piggies are standard, steamed buns are taking all kinds of cute forms these days: Keep an eye out for rabbits and hedgehogs.