🍆🌶️🍢 Why are green peppers, eggplant, and tofu so common in fried stuffed buns? A complete look at this authentic Hong Kong snack!

Hello everyone~ Today I’m going to talk about a classic Hong Kong street food: Pan-fried Stuffed Buns ! 😍
Whether you're at a dai pai dong, a food court, or a street food stall, you'll see plates of golden, fragrant pan-fried stuffed sambal (three treasures), typically featuring green peppers, eggplant, tofu , and sometimes even red sausage and bitter melon. So, the question is: why are these three treasures typically made up of green peppers, eggplant, and tofu? Let's break down the reasons.

📖 The origin of the three treasures of fried rice

1. Chaoshan Hakka influence

Stuffed vegetables (the process of hollowing out ingredients and stuffing them with meat or fish paste) is a traditional Hakka and Teochew cooking method, often seen in dishes like stuffed tofu and bitter melon. This method later spread to Hong Kong, where it was refined by hawkers and evolved into the "pan-fried stuffed vegetables" of today.

2. Hong Kong Street Evolution

Hong Kong vendors stuff fish paste into vegetables or tofu, fry it, and finally serve it with sweet soy sauce or curry sauce. It is simple and filling, and has gradually become a classic street food. 🍢

🌶️🍆🍢 Why are the three treasures green pepper, eggplant and tofu?

1. Green peppers 🌶️

• The shape is suitable for stuffing : the green pepper is hollow and easy to cut open and stuff with fish.
• The taste contrast is strong : the green pepper has a slightly bitter taste, and paired with the fresh and fragrant fish paste, the taste is rich and layered.
• Attractive color : It remains emerald green after frying and looks good.

2. Eggplant

• Soft and cooked texture : The eggplant is fried until crispy on the outside and soft and smooth on the inside, creating a contrasting taste with the fish paste.
• Strong ability to absorb juice : Eggplant easily absorbs sauce, and is particularly tasty whether paired with sweet soy sauce or curry sauce.
• Affordable price : Eggplant is an affordable vegetable and can be easily used in large quantities by vendors.

3. Tofu 🍢

• Classic stuffed dish : Stir-fried tofu originated from Hakka cuisine and is a representative of stuffed food culture.
• A great flavor-absorbing tool : Tofu itself has a light flavor, but it becomes particularly flavorful after absorbing the sauce.
• Taste comparison : The skin is fried until golden brown, while the inside is still tender and smooth, perfect with fish paste.

🍳 Cooking Features

• Fish paste filling : usually use dace meat to make paste, mixed with a small amount of starch to make the taste chewy. 🐟
• Fry until fragrant and then bake : First fry in oil until the surface is golden brown, then put it in a steamer or boil in sauce to make it flavorful.
• The soul of the sauce : Add sweet soy sauce, garlic sauce or curry sauce to make the aroma more prominent.

🌍 Why not other ingredients?

• Bitter melon : It is sometimes added, but the bitterness is too strong and not everyone likes it.
• Red sausage/eggplant : a variation, not one of the "basic three treasures".
• Potatoes : Some stalls use them, but they have a rather dull taste and are not as popular as green pepper, eggplant, and tofu.

Therefore, "green pepper + eggplant + tofu" becomes the most stable combination, which is not only affordable and easy to obtain, but also can provide multi-layered taste.

🍴 The cultural significance of the three treasures of fried rice

Popular representative

The price of fried stuffed three treasures is very affordable, and you can eat a whole plate for just a few dollars. It is a "little happiness" in the daily life of Hong Kong people. 💛

Street Style

The vendors fry the food on the iron plate, and the aroma wafts through the streets, becoming a unique taste memory of Hong Kong.

collective memory

Many Hong Kong people go to food stalls with their friends after school or work to buy a plate of fried stuffed buns, fish balls, and siu mai. It is a true taste of childhood. 📚

🤔 What do you think?

I think the reason why fried stuffed buns are so popular is not only because they are cheap and delicious, but also because they have a "layered" feel:

• Green peppers are crisp and slightly bitter
• Soft and tasty eggplant
• The tofu is tender and fragrant, absorbing the juices. The three ingredients complement each other, and the fish paste adds a touch of umami, truly achieving "three enjoyments in one dish"! ✨

🎉 Editor’s Summary

Fried stuffed three treasures often contain green peppers, eggplants, and tofu. The main reasons are:

• Easy to stuff and good at absorbing flavors
• Various tastes: crispy, soft, tender, satisfying all at once
• Affordable and easily available, suitable for street food positioning
• It has become the "three standard treasures" in the minds of Hong Kong people.

👉 So next time you eat fried stuffed buns, take a closer look: the crispness of the bell peppers, the smoothness of the eggplant, and the tenderness of the tofu – they're actually the result of Hong Kong street smarts! 🌶️🍆🍢