Sweet New Year began with chè
We heard dapples of fireworks last night, other than that, everything was normal. TV had the usual shows, roads had the usual cars, the usual air, the feeling of a usual day. Isn’t that strange? New Year came quietly in this town, but with all the bombing and protesting around the world, I suppose a quiet peaceful New Year’s Eve is a nice New Year’s Eve. No champagne, no confetti, no wishes, no counting down. We slept.
But how about some black eyed pea? 🙂 Not only is it a traditional American New Year’s food, it always appears in a baby’s first (and most important) birthday in Vietnam (quite a connection, I know… but a good bean, isn’t it?). The word “đậu” for bean, or pea, has the same spelling with the word for passing (an examination), chè is a dessert, so chè đậu trắng is a sweet food of good luck for the beginning of something. Cooked until soft, washed with cold water, the hard “black eye” part of the testa taken off, then cooked again with sticky rice and preferably brown sugar, the beans melt in your mouth. In an average pot of che dau trang, you see the sticky rice makes a gluey protection of the beans, the seed coat is still just a tad chewy, your jaws and tongue will enjoy a mix of texture. This might be exclusively enjoyable for those with an eye on texture food, myself included. In a good pot of che dau trang, you can see each grain of sticky rice and each shapely pea, but each spoon will only give you a sweet, nutty, almost homogeneous mixture. Oh, can’t forget the slightly salty, thick and fat coconut milk, of course. Coconut milk makes everything aptly better.
Coconut milk sneaked in here too… A small cup of chè bột báng (tapioca chè) from Lee’s Sandwiches. The big pink and green balls have mung bean paste inside, the little ones are your usual tapioca marbles in bubble tea (only slightly bigger and not dark brown). There is no sticky rice, but there is a teaspoon of pan-dried sesame seeds atop. Chewy and sweet is the main theme che bot bang shoots for. It’s pretty light.
Che is a vegan snack. Sticky rice, bean and coconut are about the main ingredients in any kind, some have fruits or roots, but eggs and milk stay out of this business. So how many variations of che do you think there are? Quite a few, actually. Chè bắp (corn), chè bột báng (tapioca), chè bột khoai, chè củ năng (water chesnut), chè củ mài (a kind of yam), chè chuối (banana), chè đậu xanh (mung bean), chè đậu đen (black bean), chè đậu đỏ (azuki bean), chè đậu trắng (black eyed pea), chè hạt sen (lotus seed), hạt mít (jack fruit seed), chè hạnh nhân (chesnut), chè nhãn (longan), chè khoai lang (sweet potato), khoai môn (taro), khoai mì (cassava root)…, and many others I haven’t tried. Are there similar desserts in other countries? I don’t know, but certainly not in the US, where people say ew to soy milk (and not to raw clams). Kim Son, quite to my disappointment, has stopped serving che dau trang for some while, but still has chè trôi nước, another familiar dessert of the Vietnamese, especially in the North, where some call it bánh trôi, as it’s a ball floating in sugar liquid. Such simple name is made simpler, pronunciatively, by the Southerner, when they turn it into chè xôi nước: xôi – sweet sticky rice (the coat of the ball is indeed made of sticky rice flour), in nước – (sugar) water. The stuffing is, surprise surprise, Mung Bean Paste. Sweet outside, mild and nutty inside. A beast to work your jaw. Doesn’t it remind you of banh it? Sprinkle some sesame seeds and spoon in coconut milk for a homey taste of the countryside.
Off to a well-seasoned new year, everyone! 🙂
Howdy very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Superb .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find a lot of helpful information right here within the put up, we want work out extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing.
1Hey, you used to write great, but the last several posts have been kinda boring… I miss your super writings. Past several posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
2I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the page 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 two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
3Whats up very cool site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I will bookmark your web site and take the feeds also…I’m glad to search out a lot of useful info here in the submit, we want work out extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
4I’ve been exploring for a little for any high-quality articles or weblog posts on this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website. Reading this info So i’m glad to express that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most undoubtedly will make sure to do not forget this website and provides it a look on a constant basis.
5I’ve recently started a website, the info you provide on this website has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work.
6I consider something truly interesting about your web blog so I bookmarked.
7I’ve been absent for a while, but now I remember why I used to love this website. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
8My developer is trying to convince 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 nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!
9The crux of your writing while sounding agreeable originally, did not really sit properly with me personally after some time. Somewhere within the paragraphs you actually were able to make me a believer unfortunately just for a short while. I nevertheless have got a problem with your jumps in assumptions and you would do well to fill in those gaps. In the event you actually can accomplish that, I will definitely be fascinated.
10Someone essentially help to make critically articles I would state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and up to now? I amazed with the research you made to make this actual put up extraordinary. Wonderful job!
11I like this website very much so much wonderful info .
12I’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. Studying this info So i am satisfied to express that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most without a doubt will make sure to don’t forget this web site and provides it a glance on a continuing basis.
13I am really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog like this one these days..
14Thankyou for helping out, excellent information.
15Great beat ! I wish to apprentice at the same time as you amend your website, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided shiny transparent concept
16I am not sure where you are getting your info, but great topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent information I was looking for this information for my mission.
17I real pleased to find this site on bing, just what I was searching for : D also saved to favorites.
18I genuinely enjoy looking through on this website, it holds fantastic blog posts. “Never fight an inanimate object.” by P. J. O’Rourke.
19Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Many thanks
20My spouse and i were now peaceful Edward could do his analysis because of the ideas he obtained from your own web page. It’s not at all simplistic to just find yourself giving for free methods some others may have been selling. And we also fully understand we have got the blog owner to give thanks to for that. Most of the illustrations you’ve made, the straightforward site menu, the friendships you make it possible to engender – it is all unbelievable, and it’s leading our son and us feel that that matter is excellent, which is certainly highly serious. Thank you for everything!
21Great tremendous issues here. I’m very satisfied to see your article. Thanks so much and i’m looking ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?
22Hi there very nice website!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds additionally…I am satisfied to seek out a lot of helpful info right here within the post, we’d like work out more techniques in this regard, thank you for sharing.
23I have recently started a website, the info you offer on this site has helped me tremendously. Thanks for all of your time & work.
24I have been examinating out many of your articles and i must say pretty nice stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your site.
25I loved up to you will receive carried out proper here. The cartoon is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an edginess over that you want be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more earlier once more as exactly the same nearly very regularly inside of case you shield this increase.
26It’s actually a nice and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
27I always was interested in this topic and still am, thanks for putting up.
28Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your web site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply couldn’t come across. What a perfect web-site.
29whoah this blog is magnificent i really like studying your articles. Stay up the good paintings! You recognize, a lot of individuals are searching around for this information, you can help them greatly.
30Wonderful website you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get responses from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Many thanks!
31Horse Gelatin Trick Recipe For men
32There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
33I have been surfing online more than 3 hours these days, yet I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It’s lovely price enough for me. Personally, if all website owners and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the web will likely be much more helpful than ever before.
34Attractive part of content. I simply stumbled upon your site and in accession capital to claim that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your weblog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing in your augment and even I fulfillment you get right of entry to consistently rapidly.
35I was curious if you ever thought of changing the page layout of your site? 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?
36Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
37Would you be interested by exchanging hyperlinks?
38Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, and I am shocked why this accident did not happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
39I enjoy, result in I found just what I used to be looking for. You’ve ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
40Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
41Useful info. Lucky me I found your website accidentally, and I’m stunned why this twist of fate didn’t took place in advance! I bookmarked it.
42I think this site has got some rattling superb info for everyone :D.
43I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…
44Oh 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 anyone getting equivalent rss drawback? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
45I conceive this internet site has some rattling great information for everyone :D.
46Currently it seems like WordPress is the best blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
47Glad to be one of the visitors on this awe inspiring website : D.
48It’s really a great and useful 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.
49Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. It extremely helps make reading your blog significantly easier.
50