Sandwich Shop Goodies 4 – Xôi bắp (sweet sticky rice and corn)
Every morning at six, sometimes five thirty, my dad went to the market with my mom’s grocery list, and on the way back picked up something fresh for my breakfast. He had to be extra early if we wanted xôi that day, because the warm morsels folded up in banana leaves wouldn’t last past six thirty. Sweet xôi was a popular morning food, until they started putting in lap xuong and pork floss and turned it too close to a lunch thing. But our xôi lady, and later her daughter, never made anything but sweet sticky rice in their loyal steamers. Every morning, sitting on a plastic stool and head half-covered by the cone hat, they surrounded themselves with three or four shining aluminum wok-like basins on the low table, neatly cut squares of banana leaves, old newspaper and rubber band in the side basket. Those aluminum basins often had peanut xôi, black xôi (which actually looked purple), and one other speciaux du jour. My mom was so concerned with my health that she would pick off all the peanuts if my dad got the peanut xôi, and I got really bored with black sticky rice and sweetened bean paste, so there was no telling what I would get for breakfast. On rare occasions it was corn. My favorite.
Without the seed coat and the yellow tip, each kernel was all soft, white and plump, must be twice its natural size. The sticky rice too was gummy, hardly discernible from the corn. I’d try to eat all the sticky rice first and save my precious puffs for last. Our xôi lady always covered the white palmful with mash mung bean, a big spoon of sugar, and a pinch of fried shallot. Arguably the fried shallot tempered the “sweetness” of this xôi, but it’s not as crucial as sugar and sweetened mash bean. Something I didn’t realize until years later.
We moved sometimes at the end of sixth grade, then again, this time across the Pacific, at the end of eleventh grade. My chance of eating corn xôi dropped like the housing market in Detroit. Partly because the cling wrapped stuff on styrofoam plates doesn’t at all look like Ms. Điệp’s warm morsels. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw it at Kim’s Sandwiches, not wrapped up but in aluminum trays behind the counter. Sure, they put it in styrofoam boxes when you order, but that’s still better. I got two for five dollars.
It might have been bad timing. I blamed it on our late morning arrival: xôi is best when it’s just thirty minutes out of the steamer, cool enough not to burn yet warm enough to keep the sticky rice gummy and moist. Our xôi was cold and dried up. But it was also bland. Lack of sugar in corn xôi made it un-corn-xôi-like. The grains and kernels were coated with mung bean powder, not mash, hence we got a heap of powder-coated grains and kernels instead of corn xôi. This is the Northern Vietnamese style, but frankly it’s incomparable with the Southerners’ sweet twist.
On a brighter note, Kim’s Sandwiches’ savory xôi, with roasted chicken and green onions, proved worthy of toothwork. Although the sticky rice was also cold and dried up, the meat was plenty and flavorful to boost.
On an even brighter note, the corn xôi was well-salvaged by a sugar dispenser and a microwave.
———————————————————————————————–
Xôi bắp and xôi gà ($2.50 each) from Kim’s Sandwiches
(in the Lion Supermarket area)
1816 Tully Rd 182, San Jose, CA 95111
(408) 270-8903
Previously on Sandwich Shop Goodies: bánh ú tro
Next on Sandwich Shop Goodies: bánh khảo/bánh in
I truly enjoy looking at on this website , it has excellent content. “I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time.” by Charles M. Schulz.
1I’ll immediately grab your rss as I can not find your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.
2I went over this site and I think you have a lot of great information, bookmarked (:.
3Hi! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the outstanding work!
4I simply couldn’t depart your web site before suggesting that I extremely loved the usual info an individual provide in your guests? Is going to be again incessantly in order to check up on new posts
5I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, thank you for all the great posts.
6Hey very cool blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am happy to find numerous useful info here in the post, we need develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
7you are in point of fact a excellent webmaster. The website loading velocity is amazing. It kind of feels that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you’ve performed a fantastic process on this topic!
8I just could not go away your site before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard information an individual supply on your guests? Is gonna be again incessantly in order to inspect new posts.
9Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!
10Hey, you used to write great, but the last several posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your great writings. Past few posts are just a little bit out of track! come on!
11Would love to always get updated great blog! .
12I’d have to examine with you here. Which is not one thing I usually do! I take pleasure in reading a post that may make folks think. Additionally, thanks for permitting me to comment!
13