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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3043689/dim-sum-swap-series-part-2-which-healthier-barbecue-pork-or
Style/ Leisure

Dim sum swap series, part 2: which is healthier – barbecue pork or chicken bun?

In the second of STYLE’s two-part feature on healthy dim sum dishes, we weigh up the steamed buns, bean curd sheet rolls and Chiu Chow-style dumplings that pack fewer calories, sodium and fat

Steamed barbecue pork bun or steamed chicken bun – which is healthier, and by how much? Photo: Getty

Pan-fried or deep-fried dim sum dishes are clearly not the healthiest options, but this does not mean all steamed dishes are necessarily better. In fact, many of these are either made with fatty meats and/or prepared with added fat, salt and/or sugar.

In this second part of STYLE’s dim sum swap feature, we suss out which item could possibly be a healthier choice with lower calories, sodium and fat.

Steamed barbecue pork bun or steamed chicken bun?

Steamed pork buns in a bamboo steamer with soy sauce and rice. But should you be ordering chicken instead? Photo: Getty Images
Steamed pork buns in a bamboo steamer with soy sauce and rice. But should you be ordering chicken instead? Photo: Getty Images

Savoury steamed buns – like the classic barbecue pork and chicken buns – are one of the most frequently ordered dishes among dim sum lovers. But is one healthier than the other?

Based on the nutrition database from Hong Kong Government’s Centre for Food Safety, both types of steamed buns have a very similar nutritional profile, with almost the same amount of protein and sodium per serving. However, the barbecue pork flavour is slightly higher in calories, with 260 calories per 100-gram serving, whereas the chicken flavour consists of 220 calories for the same serving size.

Despite their similarities, the healthier choice would be the steamed chicken bun not only for its lower caloric content, but its lower total fat content. Contrary to the barbecue pork flavour, which has 7.3 grams of total fat and 1.8 grams of saturated fat per 100-gram serving, the chicken bun has 5.9 grams of total fat with 1.6 grams of saturated fat.

Steamed bean curd sheet roll – pork or chicken?

Another must-have as part of the dim sum experience is meat-filled steamed rolls. Like the savoury steam buns, they come in varieties like pork and chicken flavours. Aside from using different types of meats, the other ingredients included also vary.

For the pork flavour, the wrapped and steamed bean curd sheet roll is also filled with a mixture of shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and cabbage. The rich flavours of the dish are enhanced by the starchy oyster-flavoured sauce.

The steamed chicken roll, on the other hand, comes in a couple of variations. Depending on the restaurant’s menu, it may be a mixture of chicken meat, fish belly with shiitake mushrooms or taro, wrapped in a bean curd sheet or a sheet of Chinese yam, also known as Dioscorea.

Both the pork and the chicken variations are aesthetically similar, but their nutritional profiles differ. In fact, the healthier choice would be the chicken-flavoured steamed bean curd sheet roll.

The original steamed bean curd sheet roll uses fatty parts of pork to create a moist and soft texture. Fattier meats generally contribute to higher calories and fat to foods.

For the same serving size of 100 grams, the chicken flavour has 12 grams of total fat with 2.4 grams of saturated fat, whereas the pork flavour has 22 grams of total fat with 4.2 grams of saturated fat. With more fat present in the pork flavour, the total calories present is inevitably higher, with 260 calories per serving, versus 170 calories for the same serving size in the chicken flavour.

Keep in mind, though, that the steamed chicken roll is still not considered among the healthiest dim sum dishes, as steamed bean curd rolls are generally high in fat and sodium. If one decides to consume the steamed rolls, choose sensibly and keep your portions small.

Chiu Chow-style steamed dumpling (fan gwor) or steamed vegetarian dumpling?

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Aside from har gau (shrimp dumpling) and siu mai, steamed dumplings such as the Chiu Chow-style are popular. The non-glutinous flour wrapper is typically filled with peanuts, chives, minced pork and dried shrimp. The vegetarian option also uses the same type of wrapper but filled with a mixture of shiitake and oyster mushrooms, celery, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.

The next time you order dim sum, consider ordering a steamed basket of the vegetarian dumplings over their meat counterpart. In fact, this dish is considered one of the healthier dim sum items on the menu.

For the same serving size of three pieces per dish, the vegetarian option offers slightly fewer calories, with 110 calories versus 150 calories for the Chiu Chow style. The vegetarian dumplings also have half the amount of saturated fat than of the meat style, while the latter has 1.1 grams of saturated fat.

Both variations have the same amount of sodium, with 360 milligrams per serving, but the vegetarian option stands out as the healthier option as it has more dietary fibre than the meat filling option, with 3.4 grams per 100-gram serving, compared to 1.6 grams for the latter.

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