Fusia Asian Inspirations Bao Buns
Aldi rotates a wide variety of Asian-inspired foods through the Aldi Find freezer aisle. Some of my personal favorites include mandu dumplings, sweet and sour chicken, and an appetizer sampler.
I spotted some bao in the freezer section this week. A popular Chinese food, bao means bun. These buns are typically filled with savory meat and are then steamed. The Aldi buns come in two varieties: Teriyaki Chicken and BBQ Flavored Pork. I bought a package of each to try at home.
Fusia Asian Inspirations Bao Buns are an Aldi Find. That means they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back later. Aldi doesn’t offer online ordering for products that are sold out at your local store.
We bought these ourselves for review purposes. I paid $4.99 for each 8-ounce package at my local store at the time of writing. That’s about 62 cents per ounce.
These are sold under the Fusia Asian Inspirations brand. That’s not a company. Instead, it’s the name Aldi puts on various Asian-inspired foods it sells, which it may source from various suppliers.
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain soy, wheat, and sulfite.
No matter which variety you buy, these are loaded sodium, carbs, and sugars.
The Teriyaki Chicken Bao Buns have 530 calories per 4-bun serving. One serving also has 5 grams of total fat (6% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 1,000 mg of sodium (43% DV), 100 grams of total carbohydrates (36% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 35 grams 3of total sugars, 34 grams of added sugars (68% DV), and 18 grams of protein.
The BBQ Flavored Pork Bao Buns have 530 calories per 4-bun serving. One serving also has 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1.5 grams of saturated fat (1.5% DV), 850 mg of sodium (37% DV), 97 grams of total carbohydrates (35% DV), 1 gram of dietary fiber (4% DV), 33 grams of total sugars, 33 grams of added sugars (66% DV), and 18 grams of protein.
The packages have directions for steaming these (recommended) or microwaving.
To steam, remove bao from the package and place in a steam cooker or in a steamer over boiler water. Do not let bao come in contact with the water. Steam covered for approximately 5 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Use tongs to transfer bao out of the steam container to a serving plate.
To microwave, loosely wrap bao with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 45 seconds or until bao is warm throughout. Do not overcook because dough will become tough. If additional heating is needed, continue to microwave in increments of 15 seconds.
I don’t have an easy way to steam these, so I microwaved them. The directions weren’t clear about how many bao to microwave at one time. I did them one at a time, and 40-45 seconds seemed to be just about right.
The buns themselves are sweet, soft, and puffy. The chicken or pork inside is tender and savory, and it’s also sweet due to the teriyaki and BBQ sauces. These were fun to try. They make a nice addition to a Chinese-inspired meal, or they’re good on their own as a snack.
The Verdict:
Fusia Asian Inspirations Bao Buns come in Teriyaki Chicken and BBQ Pork flavors. They feature soft, sweet dough pillows filled with savory, tender meat. We like these, either as part of a meal or as a snack. Just be aware they have a lot of sodium, carbs, and added sugars.
