Steamed, baked and roasted breads

In ancient China, wheat and other cereals played an important part in the food chain, and with the knowledge of grinding the grains into flour, noodles, dumplings and breads became part of the daily staples.

According to legends, King Liu Bang from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) asked his father to live with him in the palace. But the elderly gentleman disliked life in the palace so Liu Bang built him a miniature of his hometown to assuage his homesickness. One of the miniatures was a bakery. So, as far back as the Han Dynasty, there was bread.

Early bread were steamed, with fillings, much like the baozi (buns) today, except they were unleavened.