Sandwich Shop Goodies 19 – Bánh tiêu (Chinese sesame beignet)
Little Mom and I… we just have different tastes. She likes seafood. She prefers crunchy to soft. She doesn’t like sticky rice (!) She thinks the mini sponge muffins (bánh bò bông, the Vietnamese kind) are sourer than the white chewy honeycombs (bánh bò, the Chinese kind). I beg to differ. The mini sponges can be eaten alone; the honeycombs are almost always stuffed inside a hollow fried doughnut that is more savory than sweet: their sourness needs to be suppressed by the natural saltiness of oil and the airy crunch of fried batter. That doughnut, brought to us by the Chinese and called by us “bánh tiêu“, saves the honeycombs.
The honeycombs could go hang out with the dodo for all I care, but this Saigonese would always appreciate a well-fried bánh tiêu. At any time of the day, one would be able to spot a street cart with the signature double-shelf glass box next to a vat of dark yellow oil. The oil gets darkened from frying too many doughnuts too many times. Sure, it isn’t healthy. But should you really care about health when you eat fried dough?
“Fried dough has appeared in different forms – round, square, triangular, twisted – under many different names. The Dutch settlers had olykoeks (oily cakes); the French in Louisiana had beignets; the Spanish from Mexico made puchas de canela; and the Pennsylvania Germans made fastnachts around Lent.” (Jill MacNeice, “Doughnuts“, in the Roadside Food collection) Now I may add that the Vietnamese in California and Texas have bánh tiêu. One quality of bánh tiêu to make it superior over the other fried doughs: it isn’t coated in powder sugar. Studded with white sesame on one side, it tastes subtly salty of dough, fat, and roasted grain.
An excerpt about Vietnamese vendors making dầu cháo quẩy and bánh tiêu:
Vốc một nhúm bột khô rải đều trên bề mặt miếng gỗ đã trơn bóng – cốt để bột nhồi không bị dính – tiếp tục ngắt một cục bột đã ủ cho lên men, nhẹ nhàng vuốt dọc rồi dùng cây lăn cán qua, miếng bột đã được kéo ra thành một dây bột dài mỏng đều. Người bán lại tiếp tục dùng một thanh tre cật mỏng, xắn bột thành từng miếng đều nhau. Xếp chồng hai miếng bột lên rồi dùng một chiếc đũa ấn mạnh ở giữa, thế là đã được miếng bột “chuẩn” để làm bánh quẩy. Còn bánh tiêu thì phải qua công đoạn vốc một nắm mè vất ra giữa miếng gỗ để mè tự rải đều, sau đó mới dùng bột đã ủ đã nhồi cán thành miếng tròn dẹp, một mặt dính mè, một mặt không.
[…]
Bánh quẩy và bánh tiêu thường bán chung, có lẽ chủ yếu là vì hai loại bột làm bánh này không khác nhau là mấy. Cũng bột mì nhồi với bột khai là chính. Nhưng với bánh quẩy, người ta cho thêm chút muối, chỉ một chút thôi đủ để bánh không lạt lẽo, nhưng vẫn còn giữ được độ ngọt nguyên thủy của bột mì.
Còn với bánh tiêu, người ta lại cho thêm ít đường, cũng rất ít, đủ để làm dậy hơn vị ngọt của bột. Vị ngọt của bánh tiêu vì thế rất nhẹ, không như những loại bánh ngọt khác. Với bánh tiêu, người mua cũng không đòi hỏi phải giòn đến như bánh quẩy. Cái hấp dẫn ở bánh tiêu lại là ở những hạt mè thơm ngậy. Những hạt mè trắng li ti sau khi chiên trở nên căng mẩy, quyện với mùi thơm của bột mì chiên giòn trở nên hấp dẫn kỳ lạ. Nếu như bánh quẩy thường được cho vào dùng chung với cháo, với phở thì bánh tiêu thường được dùng kèm với bánh bò. Xẻ đôi chiếc bánh tiêu, kẹp vào giữa miếng bánh bò nữa là được một loại hương vị khác hẳn. Cái mềm xốp của bánh bò khiến bánh tiêu – vốn hơi khô – trở nên dễ ăn hơn, đỡ ngán hơn. Các loại nhân ăn kèm bánh tiêu cũng khá phong phú, tùy sở thích mỗi người. Có người mách nhau kẹp xôi vào giữa, ăn cũng rất ngon, lại có thể thay quà sáng. Có người lại thích nhân “cadé”, là loại nhân làm bằng trứng gà có vị béo ngầy ngậy, rất hợp với bánh tiêu.
Translated and abridged:
[The vendor] scoops up some flour and sprinkles them on the shining flat wooden board, to keep the dough from sticking, then he pinches off a ball of fermented dough, gently pulls it and runs the rolling pin once over to stretch the ball into a thin strip. Then he grabs a sharp bamboo stick, swiftly cuts the strip into smaller, even strips. Putting two strips on top of each other, pressing a chopstick down in the middle, and he gets a “standard” piece of bánh quẩy ready to fry. For bánh tiêu, he would need to sprinkle a pinch of sesame seeds on the board, then flatten the dough into disks, one side studded with seeds, the other side having none.
[…]
Bánh quẩy and bánh tiêu are often sold together because they have similar dough. Mainly, flour and baking soda. For bánh quẩy, they add some salt to make it savory, but not too much that it would diminish the flour’s natural sweetness. But for bánh tiêu, they would add a pinch of sugar to boost that sweetness. Bánh tiêu doesn’t have to be as crunchy as bánh quẩy either. Its goodness lies in the sesames’ fragrant nuttiness. As bánh quẩy is often eaten with rice porridge or noodle soup, bánh tiêu goes with bánh bò. Slit the bánh tiêu open, stuff in a piece of the soft white honeycomb bánh bò, and you get a whole new snack. Some people substitute bánh bò with sweet sticky rice or with egg custard, that really fattens it up.
In Saigon, Vietnam: 1000 VND each.
At Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ, Oakland: 1 USD each. (1 USD ~ 20000 VND)
Address: Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ (East Oakland)
1909 International Blvd
Oakland, CA 94606
(510) 261-9800
Previously on Sandwich Shop Goodies: steamed taro cake (bánh khoai môn hấp)
Next on Sandwich Shop Goodies: Xôi khúc (cudweed sticky rice)
Some times its a pain in the ass to read what people wrote but this site is real user friendly! .
1I am glad to be a visitor of this staring web site! , thanks for this rare info ! .
2It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article. I wish to read more things about it!
3Terrific post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Kudos!
4Way cool, some valid points! I appreciate you making this article available, the rest of the site is also high quality. Have a fun.
5I see something really interesting about your website so I saved to bookmarks.
6You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
7Wonderful beat ! I would like to apprentice whilst you amend your web site, how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright transparent concept
8I think you have mentioned some very interesting details, appreciate it for the post.
9Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any assistance is very much appreciated.
10Thanks for this tremendous post, I am glad I noticed this internet site on yahoo.
11Great blog right here! Additionally your site so much up very fast! What host are you the use of? Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink for your host? I desire my site loaded up as fast as yours lol
12I think this web site holds some very good information for everyone :D. “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” by Victor Hugo.
13Very great post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. After all I will be subscribing in your feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!
14I genuinely enjoy reading on this internet site, it has wonderful blog posts.
15Hello, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any help is very much appreciated.
16I like this web blog its a master peace ! Glad I noticed this on google .
17Hello! I’ve been following your website for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the good job!
18Good site! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
19Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It in truth was a amusement account it. Glance complicated to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we keep in touch?
20Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog article or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same subjects as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by the way!
21he blog was how do i say it… relevant, finally something that helped me. Thanks
22I was wondering if you ever considered changing the structure of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?
23I just couldn’t depart your site prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard info a person provide for your visitors? Is going to be back often in order to check up on new posts
24Real nice layout and excellent content material, absolutely nothing else we require :D.
25Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
26I really appreciate this post. I have been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thx again
27Some genuinely great blog posts on this web site, thank you for contribution. “A conservative is a man who sits and thinks, mostly sits.” by Woodrow Wilson.
28After I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any means you may take away me from that service? Thanks!
29Woh I enjoy your content, saved to bookmarks! .
30Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
31Lovely site! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am bookmarking your feeds also
32I have been surfing online greater than 3 hours lately, but I by no means found any attention-grabbing article like yours. It is lovely worth enough for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the net might be a lot more useful than ever before. “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work and my God.” by Hellen Keller.
33Exceptional post however I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Many thanks!
34Woh I love your content, saved to my bookmarks! .
35Thanks for every other informative web site. The place else could I am getting that kind of info written in such an ideal approach? I have a undertaking that I’m just now working on, and I’ve been on the glance out for such information.
36you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
37I in addition to my friends appeared to be analyzing the nice secrets from your site and quickly developed a horrible suspicion I never expressed respect to the web blog owner for them. All of the ladies became so happy to read through them and already have truly been tapping into these things. Appreciation for truly being quite helpful as well as for selecting some awesome resources most people are really needing to know about. Our honest regret for not saying thanks to you sooner.
38hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this website, as I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but slow loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for much more of your respective interesting content. Make sure you update this again very soon..
39I just could not depart your site before suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard information a person provide for your visitors? Is going to be back often to check up on new posts
40fantastic submit, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this sector don’t understand this. You should proceed your writing. I am confident, you’ve a great readers’ base already!
41I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later. All the best
42Simply a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw outstanding design and style.
43Заявку можно оставить в любое время специалист быстро сориентирует по дальнейшим действиям. Подробнее – капельница от запоя на дому недорого
44I really appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again
45I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
46My brother recommended I would possibly like this web site. He was once entirely right. This publish truly made my day. You can not believe simply how a lot time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
47I have been surfing online greater than 3 hours nowadays, but I never discovered any fascinating article like yours. It is lovely price sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you probably did, the web can be a lot more useful than ever before. “Nothing will come of nothing.” by William Shakespeare.
48You are a very clever person!
49Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was looking for!
50