Mantou or bao, in Chinese cuisine

BUN

Think of the soft, steamed bread often filled with meat or sweet paste, commonly found in dim sum or as a street food snack.

This clue refers to two types of steamed bread in Chinese cuisine: mantou (plain, often slightly sweet) and bao (stuffed with fillings like meat or paste). Both are commonly called "buns" in English, making "BUN" the straightforward answer. The clue relies on recognizing these dishes as variations of the same broad category rather than any wordplay.