tried making gua bao from scratch today because i was feeling homesick. the pork belly was tender, the pickled mustard greens were perfect, and then i realized i forgot the peanut powder. just... completely blanked on it. sat there staring at these beautiful buns feeling like the little prince realizing he forgot to water his rose — technically complete, but missing the soul. my husband said they were still good, but he doesn't know what he's missing.