According to Tse Ching-yuen, current owner of Tai Tung in Hong Kong, this bakery was making pineapple buns when it opened in 1943.

[3] The earliest documented evidence of the pineapple bun can be traced back to Hong Kong in 1942.

The shop owner, Tse Ching-yuen, recalls that he has been making pineapple buns since he was just 11 years old.

The pineapple bun may come in miniature sizes, it may be used as a bread roll for sandwiches with luncheon meat, or it may be pre-stuffed with red bean paste, custard cream (奶黃), barbecued pork, or a sweet filling of shredded coconut (椰絲) like that in a cocktail bun.

Japanese melonpan and Korean soboro bread[7] are variants that use the same ingredients for a German streusel-like texture on top but without resemblance to a pineapple.