Sandwich Shop Goodies 1 – Banh gai (thorn leaf bun)
Sitting still, it looks like a rock. It is sweet with a hint of lard. It is chewy with a weak crunch, similar to a lasagna’s crust. The smooth, thick black skin shines like lacquered wood, but possesses an almost clear and cool embrace of jello. Though closely related to the superglutinous and mud-heavy banh it, banh gai takes it light.
The same everenduring stuff of Vietnamese villagers’ creations are thrown together, wrapped and steamed in banana leaves: sticky rice flour, water, mung bean paste, sugar. If you make it in cone shape and let the sugar brown the flour naturally, you get banh it. Go the extra mile of picking, chopping, sun-drying, boiling, and grinding the ramie leaves to a black powder that you would mix with your sticky rice flour in a 1:10 ratio, then after the fire settles you get banh gai.
Actually, you get the skin of banh gai. The thorny ramie leaves with silver underside give the black buns their color and trademark names, “thorn leaf banh it” (bánh ít lá gai), “thorn leaf banh” (bánh lá gai), or, most economically, “thorn banh” (bánh gai). But as proof of their everversatile imagination with ingredients, the villagers of North Vietnam mix the mung bean paste with shredded coconut, lotus seed, ground peanut, winter melon (bí đao) for crunchiness, and translucent cubes of pig fat or vegetable oil for a mild saltiness.
The thorn leaf buns sold in package of three for $1.99 at CD Bakery & Deli don’t have fat cubes, peanuts, and pieces of winter melon. They are wrapped with plastic instead of banana leaves. They are labeled “mung bean black sesame mochi”. They contain yellow and blue (?) food colorings. But I like their slightly sweet, slightly crunchy, slightly cool black skin.
After a week at room temperature, they get white mold. Perhaps, it is to match the white sesame seeds on top.
Address: CD Bakery & Deli (in the Lion Market plaza)
1816 Tully Road, #198
San Jose, CA 95122
(408) 238-1484
Open 7 days 8am – 8pm
Something else from CD Bakery: sugarcane juice
Next on Sandwich Shop Goodies: bánh bía (Vietnamese-adapted Suzhou mooncake)
Awsome website! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am bookmarking your feeds also
1My programmer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a number of websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it? Any kind of help would be really appreciated!
2Its such as you read my mind! You seem to understand a lot about this, like you wrote the e book in it or something. I feel that you just could do with a few p.c. to drive the message home a bit, however instead of that, this is great blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.
3I was recommended this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem. You are wonderful! Thanks!
4Is Slimtide Legit ?
5SLIMTIDE SUPPLEMENT
6I like what you guys are up too. Such smart work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my site 🙂
7Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your web-site is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What an ideal website.
8I’ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website. Reading this information So i’m happy to show that I have a very excellent uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I such a lot surely will make certain to do not forget this website and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
9I like the helpful information you supply on your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again right here regularly. I am rather certain I’ll be informed a lot of new stuff proper right here! Good luck for the next!
10It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
11I’ll right away snatch your rss feed as I can’t in finding your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me realize so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
12I am really inspired together with your writing talents as neatly as with the format on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it your self? Either way stay up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare to peer a great weblog like this one nowadays..
13Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your web site is wonderful, let alone the content!
14I am really inspired with your writing talents as well as with the layout for your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it your self? Anyway keep up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare to peer a nice blog like this one these days..
15Your place is valueble for me. Thanks!…
16jellyfill review
17jellyfill review
18Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please share. Appreciate it!
19