Man, there’s this Japanese food called manju, and it’s crazy how many different varieties of this snack are out there. There’s An Man (anko filled manju) Kare Man (curry flavored manju filled with curried meat) Niku Man (meat filled Chinese-style manju) and even Pizza Man (this is one manju that really delivers!) This versatile food is a filled, or plain, steamed wheat dough bun which has its roots in Chinese cuisine.
The word manju is derived from the word mantou, the Chinese word for the treat which was originally a sweet mochi based bun from China. It was then brought to Japan in the 1300’s. Manju is also called chukaman in respect of it’s Chinese origins: chuka (Chinese) -man (manju). The Japanese took to the sweet confection and it’s since evolved into a savory or sweet wheat flour bun favored by the masses in the cooler months.
Manju, aka, man, is a popular winter snack in Japan. When the temperature drops, the sales of this steamed bun increase and there’s plenty of manju varieties to choose from to keep warm with. Even the fickle foodie will find some type of manju appealing to them.
Although manju is inexpensive and readily available at street vendors and konbini (Japanese convenient markets, including 7-11 and Circle K) people still make manju at home. There are a slew of recipes on the internet for making this snack. Some call for baking soda as a leavening, some for yeast, others for both. Some recipes call for shortening and some for oil, or both. Water is used in a few and milk in others. The combinations of the basic ingredients are impressive. Everyone has their own recipe for manju.
Some recipes say to use a yeast based dough for savory man and to reserve the baking soda dough for sweet manju. To be fair, I’ve tried all types of dough and have mixed and matched savory and sweet doughs with various fillings and haven’t favored one method over another. The yeast dough is lighter than the baking soda dough, but not by much. I made choco man (chocolate manju) with a yeast dough and it turned out well and then I turned around and made matcha man (green tea manju) with baking soda, which was absolutely terrific.
It all boils down to a preferred dough consistency and flavor. There is no ONE manju recipe that trumps all others. In fact, using the basic principles of a manju recipe, it’s possible to tweak a recipe to personal taste. That’s what cooking’s all about!
Aside from choosing how to make the dough, it’s also necessary to choose which fillings to stuff into the man. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few popular manju available at konbini and vendors which should get you thinking:
- Shiro Kare Man: Made with white curry.
- Matcha Man: Green tea flavored manju, with or without anko or other fillings
- Terichikin Mayo Man: Teriyaki flavored chicken with mayonnaise.
- Kare Man: Curry or tumeric flavored dough with curried chicken or pork filling.
- Pizza Man: Manju stuffed with Japanese pizza ingredients, including but not limited to, pizza sauce, meat, corn and cheese.
- An Man: Anko filled bun.
- Niku Man or Buta Man: Chinese-style meat filled bun.
- Choco Man: Cocoa flavored dough filled with gooey chocolate filling.
- Hamburger Man: Manju filled with ground beef and cheese.
- Koma Man: Black sesame paste filled man.
- Ebi Man: Shrimp stuffed bun.
- Squid Ink Man: Yeah, it’s what it sounds like…
If you’re thinking about creating your own filling, but are stumped for ideas, chew on these:
- Barbecue Man: Man stuffed with barbecued TVP or pork.
- Cheese Man: Provolone, mozzarella, and asiago cheese filled buns.
- Greek Man: Sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta with a dash of lemon and oregano.
- Feista Man: Nacho cheese, black beans, corn and jalapeño stuffed man.
- Pina Colada Man: Pineapple and coconut man.
- Mocha Man: Espresso flavored dough with a chocolate center.
- Apple or Cherry Pie Man: Manju stuffed with pie fillings with a cinnamon flavored dough.
- Smore’s An: Marshmallow and graham center surrounded by cocoa flavored dough.
- Amanatto Man: Dough mixed with amanatto and filled with anko.
- Super Man (I couldn’t resist): Blueberries, apples and cherries stuffed into a bun.
Some websites have some truly inspired ideas for man, such as Ume man, a manju shaped like a plum and filled with koshi an, and Momiman, taken from momi- (short for momiji: maple leaves) and man. Check ‘em out for further inspiration (site language is Japanese).
Part Two of “Man, What’s Up With Manju?” will have recipes for you to play with, plus recipes for sweet and savory man. Keep reading for more manju!
In addition to konbini and vendors, you can sometimes get either frozen or warmed up manju (generally nikuman) at groceries.
I honestly don’t really like manju. The fillings are great but the dough is so bland (even white bread has more flavor)…probably due to the steaming method because I’ve had steamed sweet potato cake and it’s pretty much the same level of meh. It reminds me very much of bagels I had made badly.
Chinese steamed buns also migrated to other parts of Asia– in the Philippines, it’s called “siapao” (pronounced show-pow) and often consists of chicken or pork stew filling that’s made with boiled egg and soy sauce.
I’ve always loved the different variations on steamed buns, including my favorite veggie version with mushrooms. And I actually like the plain bread flavor since I know the filling is where the flavor is!
Awesome, you made your post on Manju!
@Cliff, yes I did! And the recipe section for the manju is coming later this week!
@Caitlin, I’m not fond of frozen foods, which is probably why frozen manju slipped my mind when I wrote the post, but you’re absolutely right. Our Chinese grocery has a huge freezer section devoted to steamed buns, now that you mention it. They even have the ume man! And at only $4.50, I’ve kinda wanted to buy ‘em, even if they are frozen….
You’re totally a blasphemer for dissing the man dough (>.< ). David says, “I could a eat a pillow made from this dough.” And I could a mattress of it. The curry man was awesome as was the matcha man. Do you dislike the flavored doughs too, or just the unflavored man?
@Rena, The varieties of this stuff are endless! It’s so awesome to make this however you want. I add extra sugar and yeast to my plain dough; it gives it an edge.