My Costco warehouse started carrying Red Moon Bao Buns with a pork filling and I bought a pack to try. I personally did not like the flavor or texture of buns but I also did not grow up eating these. From what I have read online, these bao buns are somewhat authentic so you might like them just fine!
This is Item Number 965961 and can be found in the refrigerated section of Costco near the deli.
Heating Instructions
The bao are fully cooked and simply need to be heated before eating.
To heat these in the microwave you need to:
- Remove the amount of bao you want from the packaging.
- Place the bao on a microwave safe plate.
- Cover the bao with a damp paper towel.
- Heat the covered bao on High for 20 seconds PLUS 10 seconds for each additional bao.
This makes the heating times as follows:
- 1 bao = 20 seconds
- 2 bao = 30 seconds
- 3 bao = 40 seconds
- etc.
You can also place the bao in a steamer and steam for 4-5 minutes until hot. From what I read it looks like using the microwave and damp paper towels works fine for 2-3 bao but if you want to heat a bunch of them then the steamer is the better choice as it does a better dry of keeping the buns moist.
Taste Test!
The Red Moon pork bao buns are sweet, fluffy and doughy. There is little pork flavor from the filling which is more sweet than savory.
Personally I found the bao to be overly sweet with too much dough for the small amount of filling.
I did not grow up eating authentic Chinese Bao so I can’t tell you how authentic the flavors and texture are. I can say that when I was reading reviews on the various Facebook groups the community was pretty divided. There were a few community members who liked these but most of them said they were nasty.
One of the most positive reviews I read stated that these bao are, “Little pillows of happiness filled with sweet pork”.
Again, I have no basis to speak to the authenticity of flavors, I just know that I didn’t like them.
Calories and Nutrition
One bao is a single serving and has the following calories and nutritional information.
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 3.5g (4% DV)
- Cholesterol: 10mg (3% DV)
- Sodium: 280mg (12% DV)
- Carbohydrates: 25g (9% DV)
- Protein: 5g
Costco Value
I bought the 24 ounce package of Red Moon Bao at Costco for $9.99.
There are 12 bao per package so the cost works out to:
- $0.416 per ounce
- $0.832 per Bao
If you like these bao then the price is reasonable.
I don’t believe that I will be buying these again.
