Steamed buns are a staple in northern China. In recent years, increasingly elaborate varieties have emerged, becoming a must-have at festive meals. As the Year of the Horse approaches, buns featuring horse-themed designs have become a hit, delighting diners with their creative shapes and auspicious meanings.

In the bun-making workshop, pre-prepared dough lines the workbench. The artisan shapes two pieces into a gourd, wraps a thin red rope of dough around the middle, and adorns it with horse, fortune pouch, cloud, and ingot motifs. This is how the “Fortune Horse” bun is made.

The maker explains that the trickiest part is attaching small details like the mane, mouth, and eyes—capturing the horse’s lively charm is as challenging as crafting a work of art. These carefully made buns carry the artisan’s skill and heartfelt wishes, ready to grace dining tables far and wide.