For the young adults in our Launchpad program, discerning what vocational skills they are interested in pursuing is not an easy thing! Of course there are careers that interest them, but these don't always line up with their strengths and abilities. Eighteen year old YG has been pondering this question over the past months, and he has recently decided to try and improve his skills making "hua mo" 花馍 in the hopes that this might open doors to full time employment for him in the future.
What is hua mo 花馍, exactly? We're glad you asked! Steamed buns are a popular food in China, and hua mo are very intricately shaped and decorated steamed buns. These can be made to represent flowers, dragons, birds, fish, people and other objects. They are a specialty usually found in north China's Shanxi province, where YG lives. They are especially popular at Chinese New Year and other traditional feasts and holidays.
YG began learning the art of making hua mo when he was still living in the orphanage. Because he is dependent on his wheelchair for mobility, it was one of the few vocational training programs that he could participate in. Here he shows us how he makes a very simple hua mo design - a rose.
He starts with a basic steamed bread recipe. It's tricky knowing how stiff to make the dough... you don't want it too dry, or it will be tough and chewy, but you also don't want it too soft, or the intricate designs won't hold their shape.
Then he works to cut and shape the various components of his design - in this case, the petals of the rose:
Here's a rose all ready for the steamer:
After steaming; it's ready to eat!
Hua mo can be decorated with fruit or nuts, and are often brightly colored. YG is going to experiment with some of these embellishments in the future, and we look forward to sampling some more of his work!
