Sandwich Shop Goodies 20 – Xôi khúc – Jersey cudweed sticky rice
There’s a Vietnamese song that starts like this: “Ten years pass by without seeing each other, I thought love had grown old/ Like the clouds that have flown by so many years, I thought we had forgotten.”(*) It then went on to say, as you might expect, that the narrator still yearns for that love like ten years ago. An even more dramatic thing happens to me: I still crave xôi khúc with the same passion of the last time I had it, which was twenty years ago.
The lady who sold xôi khúc (xôi cúc if you’re from the South)(*) near our elementary school was old. In her sixties at least. She was clean, so Little Mom bought xôi from her. We never had xôi khúc from anyone else, and I don’t remember seeing anyone else selling it. Loosely wrapped in banana leaves like all other xôi(*), her xôi khúc beamed with the smell of ground black pepper in the bean paste and the cool, herbal flavor of the steamy sticky rice. After the lady stopped showing up in the mornings with her basket, we stopped having xôi khúc for breakfast.
Xôi khúc is too much of a hassle for living-alone home cooks. First of all, you need the leaves that make xôi khúc xôi khúc: the not-so-popular-and rau khúc (“rau” is greens)(***) whose English name I could find only after I found out its Japanese name from the blog of a Vietnamese expat in Japan, and I don’t even know Japanese. The Japanese use this grass in their kusa mochi, a category of grass mochi to which the yomogi daifuku belongs. De javu. The Vietnamese grind it up and use the juice to knead sticky rice flour into a dough and make xôi khúc. The dough coats a ball of savory mung bean paste, the whole thing is laid between thin layers of sticky rice and steamed. In the end, you get a handful of something with grains of sticky rice on the outside, so its appearance is like xôi, and a ball of grassy sticky rice dough with bean paste filling on the inside, so its construction is like bánh (anything made of dough). Hence its name varies: bánh khúc, xôi khúc, xôi cúc (the Southerners’ simplified pronunciation).
Today, I’ve reunited with xôi khúc. This small store in Bellaire, packed with xôi, chè, savory foods and customers at 9 on a Sunday morning, sells xôi khúc, 1 đồng 1 viên ($1/ball), each ball as big as a lemon, two of them fit snuggly in a white styrofoam box. The rice scoop digs into the tray. A slight bounce and the soft sticky rice separates. A familiar peppery smell infiltrates my veins. The guy asked if I’d like to top them with a few spoonfuls of fried shallots. Yes, please!
Address: Đức Phương Thạch Chè
11360 Bellaire Blvd
Houston, TX 77072
(281) 498-1838
(also in the Vietnamese Veteran Memorial area, near Giò Chả Đức Hương where Little Mom buys silk sausage)
Previously on Sandwich Shop Goodies: sesame beignet (bánh tiêu)
(*): Vietnamese lyrics: “Mười năm không gặp tưởng tình đã cũ/ Mây bay bao năm tưởng mình đã quên”. The song is titled Mười Năm Tình Cũ (“love dated ten years”). You can listen to it here.
(**): xôi is steamed sticky rice, either mixed with beans (sweet xôi) or eaten with meat (savory xôi). I’ve written about xôi bắp (corn xôi) and xôi đậu (peanut xôi) before.
(***): Gnaphallium affine, Jersey cudweed in English, hahakogusa (ハハコグサ in Katakana or “母子草” in Kanji) in Japanese. My inner linguistics savvy especially likes the Japanese name: 母 (haha) is Kanji for mother, 子 (ko) child, and 草 (gusa) grass: so rau khúc is Mother [and] Child Grass (mẫu tử thảo).
This is a topic close to my heart cheers, where are your contact details though?
1Yay google is my king assisted me to find this outstanding website ! .
2강남출장마사지 셀럽의 코스와 가격, 예약 방법을 확인하세요. 서울 강남구 역삼동·삼성동·논현동·신사동·압구정동·청담동·대치동·도곡동·개포동·수서동 등 주소별
3경기도 김포출장마사지 셀럽의 코스와 가격, 자택·호텔 방문 상담, 선입금 없는 예약 및 현장 결제 기준을 확인하세요. 방문 가능 여부와 예상 도착 시간은 주소와
4경기도 김포출장마사지 셀럽의 코스와 가격, 자택·호텔 방문 상담, 선입금 없는 예약 및 현장 결제 기준을 확인하세요. 방문 가능 여부와 예상 도착 시간은 주소와
5Oh my goodness! a tremendous article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing difficulty with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical rss downside? Anyone who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
6부산출장마사지 셀럽의 코스별 가격과 예약 방법을 확인하세요. 해운대·서면·광안리·동래 등 지역별 방문 가능 여부, 예상 도착 시간, 선입금 없는 현장 결제와 자택
7Whats up very nice web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Superb .. I will bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am glad to search out a lot of useful info right here within the post, we want develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing.
8I think this web site contains some rattling superb information for everyone :D.
9Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any tips or suggestions? With thanks
10I got good info from your blog
11Hi there, I discovered your blog by the use of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable matter, your site came up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
12Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
13Utterly written content, thankyou for information .
14My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This put up truly made my day. You cann’t believe just how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thank you!
15Hello. impressive job. I did not anticipate this. This is a remarkable story. Thanks!
16It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
17I really enjoy examining on this site, it contains wonderful blog posts.
18It’s hard to search out educated individuals on this matter, but you sound like you recognize what you’re speaking about! Thanks
19You have brought up a very superb details , thanks for the post.
20An impressive share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing slightly evaluation on this. And he in reality bought me breakfast as a result of I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to debate this, I really feel strongly about it and love reading extra on this topic. If potential, as you develop into expertise, would you thoughts updating your blog with more particulars? It’s extremely helpful for me. Huge thumb up for this blog put up!
21주소콘에서 필요한 사이트를 분야별로 살펴보세요. 뉴스, 커뮤니티, 영상, 웹툰, 쇼핑, 생활 정보와 온라인 도구를 찾는 방법부터 주소 확인, 즐겨찾기 관리, 접속 오류 해결까지 안내합니다. 목적에 맞는 링크를 고르고 더 편리하게 이용하세요.
22주소콘에서 필요한 사이트를 분야별로 살펴보세요. 뉴스, 커뮤니티, 영상, 웹툰, 쇼핑, 생활 정보와 온라인 도구를 찾는 방법부터 주소 확인, 즐겨찾기 관리, 접속 오류 해결까지 안내합니다. 목적에 맞는 링크를 고르고 더 편리하게 이용하세요.
23We absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write concerning here. Again, awesome blog!
24I do love the way you have framed this specific challenge and it really does offer me some fodder for thought. On the other hand, coming from what precisely I have seen, I simply just trust when the actual opinions pile on that folks remain on issue and don’t embark on a soap box regarding the news of the day. Yet, thank you for this excellent point and even though I do not necessarily agree with this in totality, I value your viewpoint.
25Definitely imagine that which you said. Your favourite justification appeared to be at the web the simplest thing to take note of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed at the same time as other folks consider issues that they just do not realize about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing with no need side effect , people could take a signal. Will likely be again to get more. Thank you
26Very interesting info!Perfect just what I was looking for!
27I will immediately take hold of your rss feed as I can not in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me recognise so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
28주소콘은 자주 찾는 사이트의 최신주소와 변경된 주소를 카테고리별로 정리한 주소모음·링크모음 플랫폼입니다. 실시간으로 업데이트되는 바로가기 링크로 원하는 사이트에 빠르게 접속하세요.
29I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
30Hello. magnificent job. I did not expect this. This is a splendid story. Thanks!
31I really wanted to compose a message in order to thank you for these wonderful guides you are giving at this site. My time consuming internet investigation has at the end of the day been honored with reasonable ideas to write about with my family. I ‘d say that we website visitors actually are quite endowed to be in a fine network with many outstanding professionals with very beneficial principles. I feel extremely fortunate to have come across your weblog and look forward to many more fabulous moments reading here. Thanks a lot again for all the details.
32I have read some good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much attempt you set to make this type of great informative web site.
33My wife and i were very joyful that Ervin managed to deal with his investigations through the entire ideas he got out of the web page. It’s not at all simplistic to just always be making a gift of hints that many men and women may have been trying to sell. We see we need the website owner to be grateful to for this. Those explanations you’ve made, the easy website navigation, the relationships your site aid to create – it is all astonishing, and it is aiding our son in addition to us reckon that this content is interesting, and that’s pretty pressing. Thank you for all!
34I like this internet site because so much utile stuff on here :D.
35Its fantastic as your other content : D, thankyou for posting.
36I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You have ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
37Hey there I am so happy I found your website, I really found you by accident, while I was browsing on Google for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a remarkable post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the superb work.
38I like this site so much, saved to fav. “I don’t care what is written about me so long as it isn’t true.” by Dorothy Parker.
39Just want to say your article is as amazing. The clarity on your publish is just spectacular and i can assume you are an expert in this subject. Well together with your permission allow me to clutch your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
40Really great info can be found on web blog. “That is true wisdom, to know how to alter one’s mind when occasion demands it.” by Terence.
41Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
42F*ckin’ awesome things here. I’m very satisfied to look your article. Thank you so much and i’m looking forward to touch you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
43I gotta bookmark this site it seems extremely helpful handy
44Whats Taking place i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to give a contribution & aid different users like its aided me. Great job.
45I’m very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.
46Hey very nice website!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I am happy to find so many useful information here in the post, we need develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
47Your style is so unique compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.
48This really answered my problem, thank you!
49It is truly a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you simply shared this useful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.
50