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)
Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was looking for! “Love endures only when the lovers love many things together and not merely each other.” by Walter Lippmann.
1Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your design. Bless you
2Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; many of us have created some nice procedures and we are looking to exchange methods with others, please shoot me an e-mail if interested.
3Hiya, I am really glad I’ve found this information. Nowadays bloggers publish just about gossips and web and this is actually frustrating. A good web site with interesting content, this is what I need. Thanks for keeping this site, I will be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Can’t find it.
4What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & aid other users like its aided me. Great job.
5I do agree with all of the ideas you’ve presented in your post. They’re really convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are very short for beginners. Could you please extend them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.
6Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you really understand what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Please also talk over with my web site =). We may have a link exchange contract among us!
7There are definitely quite a lot of particulars like that to take into consideration. That may be a great point to bring up. I provide the thoughts above as normal inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you carry up where a very powerful thing will likely be working in trustworthy good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around things like that, but I am certain that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Each girls and boys feel the impression of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
8Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your website is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched everywhere and just couldn’t come across. What a perfect website.
9I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself? Plz reply back as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to know wheere u got this from. thanks
10I’m still learning from you, while I’m improving myself. I certainly liked reading all that is written on your site.Keep the tips coming. I enjoyed it!
11Hi, Neat post. There is an issue with your site in web explorer, might test this?K IE nonetheless is the market leader and a huge component of other folks will pass over your fantastic writing due to this problem.
12I was recommended this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty. You are wonderful! Thanks!
13Excellent site. Lots of helpful information here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you on your effort!
14Hello, Neat post. There is a problem along with your site in internet explorer, may test this?K IE nonetheless is the marketplace chief and a large component to people will miss your great writing due to this problem.
15