Putin’s baozi

Russian president makes bun in Tianjin; fans eat it up

Restaurant chain Go Believe has announced plans to allow customers to prepare their own food, as Russian President Vladimir Putin did during a visit to its flagship outlet on Friday.

Putin, who was making a state visit to the country, was shown how to create baozi — a steamed bun — and jianbing guozi, a traditional Tianjin snack that consists of dough sticks wrapped in a pancake.

Putin didn’t eat his bun. Instead, it was sent to be scanned so that 3-D replicas could be made and displayed at all Go Believe outlets, said Li Yongshan, the company’s deputy general manager.

The baozi Putin made had six folds on its surface and was not closed firmly. Although it didn’t look standard, it will be cherished and named “Putin sixfold DIY baozi”, Li said.

Putin also made jianbing guozi, a snack consisting of deep-fried dough sticks rolled in a thin pancake. He added some spicy sauce to meet his own taste.

Over the weekend, the restaurant group attracted wide attention, as video clips of Putin making the snacks went viral online. A front desk receptionist at the flagship restaurant on Shandong Road, who didn’t give her name, said she has already received calls from people wanting to confirm that the restaurant is the same one Putin visited, and to find out the price and the ingredients of Putin’s creations.

According to the restaurant, Putin’s baozi had crab roe inside, and his jianbing guozi was not too expensive, at 15 yuan ($2.30) each.

Some netizens asked online whether the company would launch a “Putin package” that would allow customers to eat the same dishes the Russian president did.

Li said the company plans to let customers make their own baozi in the near future.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Chinese baozi made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.