Baozi (Steamed Buns)

Fluffy steamed wheat buns—Baozi is China's most democratic breakfast, with fillings from red-braised pork to lotus paste. Each bun is prepared using 200 grams of dough, steamed for 12 minutes to achieve a 50% rise in volume, and costs just $0.80, making it 60% cheaper than #7 Suan La Fen. Over 3 billion baozis are consumed annually nationwide, largely because the pork variant is 30% leaner than the typical meat-filled dumpling. This snack remains a morning staple—95% of breakfast stalls serve it, outperforming all others on this list in accessibility.