Have you ever had a puffy white bun from the bamboo steamers? I have, and they always make my mouth water. Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue, “Chinese steamed bun,” tests your knowledge of Chinese cuisine and challenges you to find a soft steamed bun filled with delicious fillings.
If today’s NYT Mini Crossword clues stump you, make sure to use our hints and answers to breeze through the word puzzle without a problem.
‘Chinese steamed bun’ NYT Nov. 23 Mini Crossword hints and answer
- Hint 1: The answer is a bun that you’d pair with dumplings at dim sum.
- Hint 2: The three-letter solution is a round Chinese treat, which sounds like taking a “bow.”
- Hint 3: It starts with the letter “B.”
- Hint 4: The solution is also the title of a 2018 Disney Pixar film about a metaphorical loving relationship between a mother and food.
It’s time to reveal the answer.
The answer to six down in the Nov. 23 New York Times Mini Crossword is “BAO.” it is short for Baozi, a type of steamed bun from Chinese cuisine, which fits perfectly with the clue. The Pre-made bao is a staple in many Asian households, often found in the freezer aisle for quick steaming at home.
Zhuge Liang, a Chinese military strategist from the Three Kingdoms period, invented the Baozi. According to the Legends, he created buns shaped like human heads to appease a river spirit without sacrificing his soldiers to cross the water body.
‘Chinese steamed bun’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating
I love consuming Chinese cuisine so the steamed buns led to the Baozi, which is a popular street food and comes with various fillings like savory ingredients like pork, beef, or vegetables. It is popularly known as the Bao, and it is also the name of a famous Pixar film called Bao.
If you haven’t watched that film or have experience in having international dishes, it could be a hard clue for you to solve. So, I’d give it a three out of five for difficulty.
NYT Mini Crossword (Nov. 23) answers
Across
- 1A Word after Gingerbread or Muffin — MAN
- 4A Used a U-Haul, say — MOVED
- 6A Cover in gemstones, as a princess costume — BEJEWEL
- 8A Journalist Shapiro — ARI
- 9A Helpful blackjack card — ACE
- 10A Approximate shape of this puzzle’s grid (if you squint) — OCTAGON
- 12A Sweet, sticky stuff — HONEY
- 13A Home with a trough of slop — STY
Down
- 1D Summery cocktails with muddled mint — MOJITOS
- 2D Vermont or Ventnor in Monopoly: Abbr. — AVE
- 3D Like a shop that sells crystals and incense, you might say — NEWAGEY
- 4D Concert tees and CDs — MERCH
- 5D Wooden duck, e.g.— DECOY
- 6D Chinese steamed bun — BAO
- 7D Goodman who was a longtime judge on “Dancing With the Stars” — LEN
- 11D Critter in a farm that’s kept on a shelf — ANT
How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword
If the NYT Mini Crossword word games are testing your skills, you can turn toward the LA Times and Washington Post to push your brain muscles further. However, you can also try your hand at Strands and Spelling Bee for a fun challenge and increase your vocabulary.
