The Bubbo said:sarah bennett said:ms. tonya said:(The Bubbo)WROTE:
In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have
all these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One
of the things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not
find anything about it.
First of all, it's not cakey at all.
It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
very long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe
made with glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet
red beans. It's not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell.
I'm really trying to come up with a way to describe the texture...
Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at
home if possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either
don't speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so long
since I've been to chicago, I miss these
things.---------------------------------------------
REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China Korea etc.
around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the same treatment as you
mentioned so don't feel bad.
As one friend told an owner to his face as he walked out leaving items
on counter you sure know what our money means though don't you.
I have found that if you ask politely, in most stores they can usually
find someone with some English skills if you need some help (at least at
the "ethnic" markets I shop at). I am also in the Detroit area. Hell, I
don't care if they learn English, just keep importing the good stuff 🙂
the ladies at this bakery are super nice, it's just always so busy and they
don't really speak english but they laugh at how excited I get with the
crystal cake and pork buns and sesame rolls...
My favorite, though, are the people who work dim sum at the chinese place by
my office. I was in there today for lunch and they tease me for not eating
chicken feet (I tried them once, I'll try most things once) but liking the
tripe. The last few times they've even run to the back to get special things
for me to try. They're so much fun.
I think the women who run the register at the sushi place/market up the
street are amused by the assortment of things I pick up. Or maybe just
that I, the whitest girl in the world, makes her own sushi, I'm not sure
🙂 The sushi there is SO fantastic. It's alot cheaper to make it
yourself, though.
--
saerah
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