Prasuma Bao Buns Are Soft, Fluffy & So YUM!

The dumpling derivative that feels like a treat to the taste buds, Baos are China-originated center-filled buns with a soft, fluffy, slightly yeasty-sweet exterior. 

Prasuma is known for its exquisite range of frozen vegetarian and non-vegetarian momos. We’ve reviewed several variants and quite liked them for the flavors, thin casings and convenience. For our Prasuma Bao Buns review, we ordered the BBQ chicken, Veg Pizza, and Chocolate Crunch baos. Taste, texture, price, and parameters that impact one’s buying decision are discussed in the review.

Bye baos or more baos?

 

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Quick details on the three variants are decoded in the table below. 

What were we looking for in Prasuma Bao Buns? 

We gauged how close these frozen baos come to the authentic counterpart in terms of flavors and texture? What do we think of the price point? Convenience? 

1. Taste

The taste was gauged in terms of flavor and freshness. Was the yeast-based outer cover fresh? How did it taste – sweet, sour, bland or salty? What about the filling? Was it loaded with flavors or under seasoned considering the outer steamed bun is often neutral tasting?

2. Texture

Was the outer cover soft and fluffy, like it should be? Or did it have a harder bite? Light or dense, how did the baos feel on the palette? 

Was the filling completely mashed or did it have some textural variation? 

We also noted the ratio of stuffing to bao here. 

3. Other Parameters

The price, packaging, overall convenience were taken into account as well. 

Prasuma Bao Buns are pre-steamed and would be ready in minutes. There are three recommended methods of preparation- steaming, pan frying, and heating in a microwave. 

We used our steamer and let the baos heat for 10 minutes. 

These plumped up and increased in size slightly within the mentioned time frame. The filling heated up well till the centre.

The brand offers six variants in this range, of which we reviewed three. 

Our Prasuma Bao Buns review covers Chocolate, BBQ Chicken, and Veg Pizza. 

Taste & Texture

We anticipated the Chocolate variant to have a higher level of sweetness, but that was not the case. These bao buns were not overly sweet, they had a balanced chocolate flavor. The chocolate had been added generously and there were no empty dough pockets. Thumbs up.

The stuffing also had some mixed bits of cashews and butterscotch which added a light crunch. The chocolate oozes from the baos, very desirable. 

As for the baos, they were soft and fluffy. 

Main Ingredients

Refined Wheat Flour (Maida), Sugar, Vegetable Palm & Palmolein Oil, Milk Solids, Cocoa Solids, Artificial Flavoring Substance- Butterscotch (Sugar & Cashew), Emulsifier (INS 322), Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat, Yeast, Butter, Baking Powder (INS 500 (iii), INS 521)

Price & Packaging

In a non-resealable pack, there were two large bao buns. The net weight is 100 grams and this is priced at Rs 89/- with a 12-month shelf life.

Taste & Texture

The filling in the BBQ Chicken bao buns was a toothsome blend of mildly spicy, sweet, and garlicky flavor notes. The specs of green onion enhanced the overall flavor with its sharp, peppery taste. This filling does not really feature any ‘BBQ’- resembling flavors like smokiness or a sweet tang, but it did taste good. 

The chicken filling was a mix of fine and medium-minced chunks. The ratio of filling to bao was fairly decent. The bao bun was similar to the chocolate variant, had a soft, fluffy, pillowy bite. 

Main Ingredients

Refined Wheat Flour (Maida), Chicken Meat, Onion, Refined Soybean Oil, Garlic, Soy Sauce, Chilli Paste, Sugar, Yeast, Butter, Baking Powder (INS 500 (ii), INS 521), Ginger, Cornflour, Fish Sauce, Spices and Condiments (Acidity Regulator (INS 330), Flavor Enhancer (INS 635), Anticaking Agent (INS 551).

Price & Packaging

Prasuma usually packs all non-vegetatian snacks in a red and black packaging. These BBQ Chicken baos were packed in a red and black resealable pack. There were six buns in the pack. The net weight is 300 grams and it is priced at Rs 249/- with a 12-month shelf life. 

Taste & Texture

First things first, this was a pretty good vegetarian snack. The ‘pizza’ tag is justified 100%. Usually, pizza sauces are dominant on the tangy tomato flavor and so was the filling of these baos. The spices and seasonings were added proportionately, making the bite full of flavors and wholesome. 

The filling also had some corn and onions that added a soft bite. The corn kernels tasted fresh and had plumped up well. Cheese was added moderately but the filling to bao ratio was substantial. There were no empty pockets. 

Main Ingredients

Refined Wheat Flour (Maida), Tomato Puree, Cheese, Onion, Olive Oil, Leek, Celery, Jalapeno, Garlic, Sweet Corn, Sugar, Yeast, Butter, Baking Powder (INS 500 (ii), INS 521), Oregano, Spices and Condiments (flavor enhancer INS 631, INS 627), Anticaking Agent (INS 551), Salt, Paprika Oleoresin (INS 160c)

Price & Packaging

Prasuma’s standard packaging for vegetarian snacks is green and black and these Veg Pizza Baos were packed in such a pouch. It was non-resealable. A 100-gram pack with 2 baos is priced at Rs 89/- and has a shelf life of 12 months. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on Prasuma bao buns

Fresh and fluffy, Mishry quite liked the three variants of Prasuma Bao Buns. Very easy to prepare, rich flavors, desirable texture, these make for a unique snack. 

Have you tried products from Prasuma before, how was your experience?