National Bao Day
August 22
About National Bao Day
National Bao Day is observed annually on 22 August in the United States, celebrating the baozi: a steamed, filled bun with origins in Chinese culinary tradition stretching back more than two thousand years. The day was founded by Wow Bao, a Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant chain, and was formally registered with the National Day Calendar in 2017.
What is National Bao Day?
National Bao Day is an annual food celebration dedicated to the baozi, also simply known as bao, a category of steamed dough buns filled with savoury or sweet ingredients. The day encourages food lovers in the United States and beyond to visit bao restaurants, try making bao at home, and explore the rich culinary tradition behind one of China’s most beloved foods.
Bao buns come in many regional varieties. Char siu bao, filled with barbecued pork, is a staple of Cantonese dim sum. Xiao long bao, the Shanghai soup dumpling, contains broth and minced pork. Taiwanese gua bao features a folded steamed bun filled with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, and peanut powder. The diversity of bao reflects the breadth of Chinese regional food culture, and the dish has found global popularity in recent years, with bao-focused restaurants appearing in cities from London to Sydney.
When is National Bao Day?
National Bao Day falls on 22 August each year. The date was chosen by Wow Bao to coincide with the anniversary of the opening of their first bao-centric restaurant in Chicago, establishing a personal and commercial link between the celebration and the brand’s founding moment.
Why Does National Bao Day Matter?
National Bao Day serves several purposes: it celebrates a food with a deep and fascinating history, promotes cultural exchange through shared eating experiences, and raises awareness of the growing variety of bao restaurants and makers across the United States.
By dedicating a day to bao, the observance encourages people to step outside familiar culinary comfort zones and explore a food tradition that encompasses thousands of years of Chinese cooking. It also supports independent bao restaurants and food makers, many of which are small businesses run by Chinese and broader Asian American communities.
Beyond the purely gastronomic, bao represents cultural continuity: families pass bao-making techniques from generation to generation, and the act of making and sharing bao is embedded in Chinese cultural life, particularly around celebrations such as Chinese New Year.
How to Get Involved
- Visit a local restaurant serving bao and try a style you have not tasted before.
- Host a bao-making session at home with friends or family, experimenting with different fillings.
- Share photographs of your bao on social media using the day’s hashtags.
- Read about regional varieties of bao and the history of Chinese steamed bread.
- Support a local Asian-owned restaurant or food stall by ordering bao on 22 August.
- If you are a food blogger or content creator, share a recipe or restaurant review to spread the celebration online.
History of National Bao Day
The origins of the bao as a food stretch back over two thousand years in China. The history of steamed breads without filling, known as mantou, can be traced to the Warring States period (475 to 221 BC). The filled version, baozi, emerged during the Three Kingdoms period (220 to 280 AD), with a famous legend attributing its invention to the military strategist Zhuge Liang, who is said to have ordered his cooks to produce dough buns filled with meat as offerings during a military campaign. The stuffed buns were called manshou, a name that evolved over centuries into mantou, and the filled variety eventually became known as baozi.
By the Song Dynasty (960 to 1279 AD), baozi had become firmly established as a celebrated dish in Chinese cuisine, prized for its versatility and the ease with which it could be prepared, transported, and enjoyed across all social classes.
The modern observance of National Bao Day in the United States began with Wow Bao, a fast-casual restaurant chain that opened its first bao-dedicated restaurant in Chicago on 22 August. The chain chose the anniversary of its founding as the basis for an annual food celebration, and in 2017 the Registrar at the National Day Calendar officially declared National Bao Day to be celebrated annually on this date. Since then, the day has grown into a broader celebration of bao culture, attracting participation from restaurants, food writers, and enthusiasts across the country.
Noteworthy Facts
- China produces and consumes more steamed buns per year than any other bread product in the world, with estimates suggesting billions of bao are eaten daily across the country.
- Char siu bao is one of the most popular items in Cantonese dim sum and is widely available in Chinese bakeries around the world.
- Taiwanese gua bao has been embraced by chefs globally as a platform for fusion fillings, with versions stuffed with pulled pork, fried chicken, and plant-based proteins all becoming popular.
- The London bao scene gained international attention in the 2010s when Taiwanese-style bao began appearing at street food markets, with dedicated bao restaurants following shortly after.
- Soup dumplings (xiao long bao) require a technically challenging preparation in which gelatin-rich broth is frozen, wrapped inside the filling, and then melted back to liquid during steaming, resulting in a bun that contains hot soup.
- Bao has been widely adapted to vegetarian and vegan diets, with fillings including tofu, mushroom, jackfruit, and mixed vegetables becoming increasingly common across restaurants and home kitchens.
Hashtags
#NationalBaoDay #BaoDay #BaoBuns #Baozi #ChineseCuisine #FoodAwareness #WowBao
Featured image: Photo by SJ 📸 on Unsplash.
2026 Awareness Days Wall Planner
Every key awareness day at a glance. Perfect for offices, staff rooms, and team planning.
View Calendar →
