Baozi is a kind of dough that is made from flour and water before being steamed. There are many kinds of baozi. In other words, baozi is a steamed bun with stuffing, and steamed bun is a baozi without any stuffing.

According to a book in Sung dynasty, the name of “steamed bun” was coined by Zhuge Liang. It was said that the leader of southern tribes, Meng Huo, made constant attacks to the country, and Zhuge Liang led the troops to counter-attack. Zhuge Liang’s soldiers proposed an idea that by killing some of the captured soldiers from the enemy and making their heads as offering in rituals for God of River, they would definitely win the battle. Then Zhuge Liang decided to make steamed buns with beef or mutton, and offered such buns in the worshipping rituals. From then onward, the steamed buns have become a popular snack with the Chinese people. This was the origin of the steamed bun in Chinese history.

For a period of time, all buns were called steamed buns whether they have stuffing or not. It was not until the Sung dynasty did the name of “baozi” was coined for common usage, which refers to buns with stuffing. In today’s southern provinces in China, people still call the baozi “meat steamed buns”.

heads?! Oh, no! It's a bun.

The steamed buns(baozi) and buns(meat baozi) are litte different.

The difference is pork.