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)
You are my aspiration, I have few web logs and occasionally run out from to post .
1It’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
2wonderful put up, very informative. I’m wondering why the opposite specialists of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m sure, you have a huge readers’ base already!
3I went over this web site and I think you have a lot of good info , saved to fav (:.
4Loving the info on this web site, you have done outstanding job on the content.
5I was recommended this website by means of my cousin. I’m not positive whether this post is written through him as no one else realize such targeted about my difficulty. You are incredible! Thank you!
6It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
7obviously like your website but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to tell the truth nevertheless I will definitely come back again.
8I take pleasure in, result in I found just what I used to be taking a look for. You’ve ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
9I don’t usually comment but I gotta admit regards for the post on this perfect one :D.
10hello there and thanks for your information – I have definitely picked up anything new from proper here. I did then again expertise several technical points the usage of this web site, as I experienced to reload the web site lots of instances prior to I could get it to load correctly. I have been brooding about in case your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading circumstances occasions will sometimes affect your placement in google and could harm your high quality ranking if ads and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I’m including this RSS to my email and could look out for much extra of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again soon..
11Thank you for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there.
12You have noted very interesting details ! ps decent web site.
13Hey there would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a difficult time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
14I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was looking for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
15Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.
16Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back frequently!
17Very interesting topic, appreciate it for putting up.
18Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
19I like your writing style truly enjoying this internet site.
20Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude. Thank you Nevertheless I’m experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting equivalent rss problem? Anybody who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx
21I genuinely enjoy looking through on this site, it has got excellent blog posts. “A short saying oft contains much wisdom.” by Sophocles.
22I have learn several excellent stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you set to create one of these excellent informative website.
23Heya i’m for the primary time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to provide one thing back and aid others such as you helped me.
24I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
25I like what you guys are up also. Such clever work and reporting! Carry on the excellent works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my site :).
26The core of your writing while appearing agreeable originally, did not really settle well with me personally after some time. Someplace within the sentences you were able to make me a believer unfortunately only for a short while. I nevertheless have got a problem with your jumps in logic and you would do well to fill in those gaps. In the event that you actually can accomplish that, I would undoubtedly end up being impressed.
27I love the efforts you have put in this, thank you for all the great articles.
28I am always looking online for ideas that can assist me. Thanks!
29Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It if truth be told was a entertainment account it. Look complicated to more introduced agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate?
30Some really excellent info , Gladiolus I noticed this. “The Diplomat sits in silence, watching the world with his ears.” by Leon Samson.
31This is really interesting, You are an excessively skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look ahead to seeking extra of your fantastic post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks!
32I like this post, enjoyed this one thank you for posting. “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” by M. Kathleen Casey.
33I regard something really special in this web site.
34In this awesome pattern of things you receive an A+ for effort and hard work. Where exactly you actually confused everybody ended up being on all the details. You know, it is said, the devil is in the details… And that could not be more true here. Having said that, permit me reveal to you what did give good results. Your authoring is incredibly powerful and this is possibly why I am making the effort to comment. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. 2nd, although I can certainly notice the jumps in logic you make, I am not convinced of exactly how you appear to connect the ideas which inturn produce your conclusion. For right now I shall subscribe to your point but wish in the foreseeable future you actually connect your facts much better.
35You really make it seem really easy along with your presentation but I to find this topic to be really one thing which I feel I’d never understand. It kind of feels too complex and very vast for me. I’m having a look ahead to your subsequent submit, I will attempt to get the grasp of it!
36Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
37A powerful share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing just a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast as a result of I discovered it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the deal with! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying extra on this topic. If possible, as you change into expertise, would you thoughts updating your blog with extra particulars? It is highly useful for me. Huge thumb up for this blog publish!
38I’ve read a few good stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you put to create the sort of great informative site.
39Someone essentially help to make seriously articles I would state. This is the first time I frequented your web page and thus far? I surprised with the research you made to create this particular publish extraordinary. Fantastic job!
40I really enjoy examining on this site, it holds superb blog posts.
41Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you really know what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly also visit my web site =). We could have a link exchange contract between us!
42Dead written articles, appreciate it for information. “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” by Mark Twain.
43I always was concerned in this topic and still am, thanks for putting up.
44I want to express my affection for your kind-heartedness giving support to folks that need help on that study. Your very own dedication to passing the solution along had been really insightful and has in most cases helped many people just like me to get to their objectives. Your own warm and friendly facts denotes so much a person like me and still more to my mates. Thanks a lot; from each one of us.
45naturally like your web-site however you need to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very troublesome to tell the reality nevertheless I’ll certainly come again again.
46Outstanding post, you have pointed out some great points, I also conceive this s a very great website.
47Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
48Some truly fantastic info , Gladiolus I discovered this.
49I have been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this web site. Studying this information So i am satisfied to express that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed. I most for sure will make certain to don’t put out of your mind this site and provides it a glance regularly.
50