Shoutao (寿桃, literally 'longevity peach') are steamed filled buns shaped and tinted to resemble the sacred peaches of Chinese mythology: the immortal fruit grown in the orchard of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu), which ripen once every three thousand years and confer eternal life. They are served at birthday celebrations, particularly those marking significant ages (60th, 70th, 80th birthdays), and at festivals associated with longevity. The connection between the peach and immortality is one of the most ancient in Chinese culture, appearing in the Book of Songs, in Daoist philosophy, and in the popular narrative of the Monkey King Sun Wukong stealing and eating the celestial peaches in Journey to the West. Shoutao are made by staining dough with red and pink food colouring, shaping it into a pointed-oval peach form, and filling it with lotus paste, red bean paste, or a black sesame mixture. They are always presented in sets; groups of three, six, or nine; and their visual resemblance to a ripe peach is part of their symbolism: to eat one is to consume the fruit of immortality.
Ingredients
Dough
300 g plain flour (all-purpose)
5 g fast-action dried yeast
30 g caster sugar
160 ml warm water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
Filling
300 g smooth lotus paste or red bean paste
Colouring
1 tsp red food colouring (gel or liquid)
1 tsp pink food colouring (gel or liquid)
Equipment
12 small squares of baking paper (for steamers)
Method
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Leave for 5 minutes until slightly foamy. Add the oil, then gradually mix in the flour and baking powder to form a smooth dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until soft and elastic.
Cover the dough and rest in a warm place for 45–60 minutes until doubled in size.
Divide the lotus or red bean paste into 12 equal portions (approximately 25g each) and roll each into a smooth ball. Set aside.
Punch down the risen dough. Divide into two unequal portions: approximately two-thirds (plain) and one-third (to be tinted). Set the larger portion aside under a damp cloth.
Divide the smaller dough portion into two equal pieces. Knead red food colouring into one piece until evenly tinted to a deep pink-red. Knead pink food colouring into the other piece until lightly tinted. Wrap each in cling film.
Take the plain dough and pinch off a piece roughly the size of a walnut. Flatten it into a 8cm disc. Place a lotus paste ball in the centre, gather the edges, and pinch firmly to seal into a smooth ball.
Shape the sealed ball into a slightly elongated oval with a pointed top: the classic peach silhouette. Use the back of a knife or a toothpick to press a shallow groove running from the pointed tip down the length of the bun, suggesting the peach's natural crease.
Using a clean dry brush or fingertip, dab the pink dough onto the upper half of each bun, blending gently. Add a very small amount of the red dough to the very tip of the point for depth of colour. The tinting should suggest a blush across one side of the peach, not a uniform coat.
Place each finished bun on a square of baking paper and arrange in a steamer basket. Leave space between buns as they will expand. Cover loosely and prove for 20 minutes.
Steam over boiling water for 12–15 minutes until the buns are set, puffed, and no longer tacky to the touch. Do not lift the lid during steaming. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.
Notes
Shoutao are best eaten fresh and warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days and resteamed for 5 minutes before serving. For a leaf detail, roll tiny teardrop shapes of green-tinted dough and press them onto the base of each bun before the second prove. Traditional Cantonese shoutao use lotus paste; Shanghainese versions often use a sweeter red bean paste.
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