This is bungeobbang. Pronounced buh-n-gay-pahng. Romanization of Korean words doesn't always work that well, but you get the general idea. Anyway, this stuff is a sweet that I absolutely adore! Partly because it is near impossible to get around me. The only times I get it is if my parents have made a trip out to Flushing, NY and bring me some when they visit. It's basically crisp, golden brown pastry filled with piping hot sweet red bean paste. Oh my gosh, I'm drooling already!
Apparently in Seoul, the streets are filled with little food stalls that sell all kinds of delicious foods, including bungeobbang. Which, I've been told, eaten fresh off the grill is a near orgasmic experience. One day I will experience this pleasure myself, while holding my nose as I pass by the silkworm larvae vendor. But even that foul smell will not drive me away from trying a piping hot bungeobbang!
Now all I have to do is pay for 5 first class tickets to Korea and some morphine. Five cause I gotta take the family. First class and morphine because I'm claustrophobic and suffer from air sickness and motion sickness and I'm a foulmouthed bad traveler. Yeah, you don't want to fly with me. I'm what you call a difficult passenger. If your kid kicks the back of my chair, I'll get up and kick the back of your head. If your feet stink and you take off your shoes near me, I will use your shoes to vomit in. If you have big hair and are sitting in front of me blocking my view of the stinky inflight movie, I will loudly gripe about your big hair til it deflates like a flattened souffle. Let me stop now before you get the idea that I'm some kind of a bitch or something.
So the idea of 24 hours on a plane is quite horrifying for everyone, I'm sure. Guess I'm stuck begging my folks to pick some up in Flushing for me. Man I love these things.
Anyway, in honor of Asian Heritage Month, I would love to hear from everyone out there what your favorite Asian food is.
23 comments:
We just got back to Japan and I realized that I might have a serious fear of flying. Especially landing. We bounced funny on the way into Newark and everyone screamed. I totally imagined us rolling down the tarmac. Ug. Then on the way back here I had that stinky-footed man and another who scratched his head, foot and calf the ENTIRE 13-hours. I could have strangled him.
And, hey! Those tasty sweets are in Japan, too. They're called taiyaki here. Your Korean version have much more detail though. I wonder if I could send you some....frozen or something. Hmmm...
Well since I am an Indian practically 98% of the things I eat falls into the Asian food category.
And by far the fav. is Paani Puri. Am sure you would have never ever heard of it. Its supposed to be so spicy that it turns you eyes red and you literally cry and beg for water after eating it. It may not sound like it but its dehlicious.
My 16 hr flight to US was horrific too. And to top it all when I asked for drinks the smart person with cart said: "For you, Sir; juice and soft drink"
To that I said, "Um. have I done something wrong for being punished?"
He says: "Drinks only for above 18 sir."
I proudly say making it sound as cool as possible "Duhude, am on business Visa"
Smart-man still checks my id before serving me a Corona. Embarassing.
Have you seen the Koren "My Sassy Girl" and "Windstruck"?
Looks delic.
From the picture, I figured you were going to write about fish in batter, which you can get from any UK chip shop. Then I saw bungeobbang and wondered if this was another post about Oldest hurting himself, this time by plummeting from a snapped bunjee rope and narrowly avoiding serious injury by landing on a crate of battered fish.
Luckily I was wrong — and this looks and sounds delicious.
Not sure I've sampled enough truly Asian food to make an informed choice, but if the Indian sub-continent counts, I'm a sucker for matte panir.
Hard to beat a good Thai curry. Yum. And, as you know, I've always been partial to a good bi bim bap. Then there's the delicious steamed dumplings of NE China.... Just one, huh?
My favorite Asian food will be any simple, yet delicious, recipe that you post right here that I can try out at home. I promise. (Savoury, please.)
Gotta laugh. Whirl's missing an important point re. Ello Offspring.
You are too funny!
I love Asian food, but my favorite is egg rolls and fried rice. Simple stuff. Though I do need to expand my horizons more as I always order the same things.
Thank you for making me drool. It's only 8:45 AM, and I am now hungry. Heh.
I am a sucker for gyoza. Everywhere we go, I've got to try them. The best gyoza I've tried to date are from a Thai restaurant in Cleveland. Sad but true.
Do I have to pick just one? Mooncakes, garlic noodles, rice balls, chicken feet, frog legs, anything with sweet bean paste, sushi, Korean bar-b-que...I'll stop now before I go hit up the next asian restaurant begging them to open their doors at nine in the morning and feed me!
I'm very, very happy to celebrate Asian Heritage Month by eating lots of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Tibetan, Malaysian, Indonesian, Taiwanese, Indian, Burmese, Nepalese, and Singaporean foodstuffs.
(Did I forget anyone? Educate mah belleh.)
You had me at "crisp, golden brown pastry filled with piping hot sweet." It pretty much didn't matter what it was filled with. I love me some pastry.
Like Carrie, I am a gyoza lover and adventurer. And now I must go have some.
Though a nightmare to prep for, hands down my childhood favorite dish has to be home-made "mon doo."
I remember getting teased when I brought them in for lunch, but they were so good, I didn't care and just thought, "Good, one less to offer to someone else!"
It is basically the Korean version of a dumpling filled with vegetables and meat. When fried it has a nice subtle crunch.
Unfortunately, it seems that only the most loving and dedicated wives/mothers will endure the agony of making these.
Consequently, I don't get these at home!
Da'Man
those look yummy!
My cousin lives in Korea. I bet she gets to eat yummy stuff like that all the time.
It's hard for me to name an Asian food that I don't like. I guess I'm a little piggy too.
And LOL at your description as you as a traveler. he he he he
Oh, MAN. Great post :P. I'm drooling from the comments alone!
My favorite Asian foods are Unagi (it tastes like barbeque chicken if barbecue chicken was made out of magic), Lamb Saag, Steamed Bow (I want it so badly this week and am having one hell of a time finding it, so it is now my favorite because it is elusive)... the list goes on and on.
Boar meatballs. Dried squid jerky. Miso soup. So much good food, so little time.
My cousin is Korean and makes the best barbecue in the world. She cooks by "smell," which is always a good sign ;).
I'm with Stacy - just ONE favorite? Craziness!!!! Well, Pho, the chicken noodle soup equivalent of my people, is my #1 fav cuz that's the breakfast of champions. Also love me some izakaya (especially deep fried chicken skin) and okayu (breakfast #2 of champions!) Duk mandu gook is to die for when it's done right with silky broth. Green mango and fish sauce is like my potato chip. A really nice toro sushi - perfection! Like Rebecca I also like the dried squid! Even if it makes my fingers stinky. OMG - I could post for like another hour on this...must stop...
Mmmm! I really miss good oriental food in back-of-beyond Maine! I used to be spoiled in San Francisco, especially for good Vietnamese and Thai food.
My favorite two things, though, are Pad Thai and Beef Chow Fun. I love the fat rice noodles in chow fun, and that peanutty goodness of the pad thai sauce. (At least I can make a decent pad thai myself, though.)
Oh boy, reading the comments has made me long for something made with lemon grass and a good Thai curry. (You're just killing me here, and me on a diet!)
So if I post a link to my homemade mandoo, does that mean I have to fix them for Da Man if you folk ever visit?
http://goatskinpants.blogspot.com/2006/08/potsticker-recipe-and-fusion-paca.html
Are they always in the shape of little fish, or just these pictured? Sounds good.
I'm like Kelly and have really simple tastes when it comes to Asian food. I love egg rolls, fried shrimp, and Szechuan chicken. I like hot, spicy foods.
Looking forward to hearing more about Asian Heritage Month!
so hard to choose! i guess i can stay true to my heritage and say chinese--many diff regions types of food and flavors.
The pastries look lovely - plus I love fish and hot sauce ;)
but silkworm larvae - I don't think so - there went my appetite - hey, maybe that's a good thing.
Don't make me choose, Ello -- it can't be done. I seriously love just about everything, from just about every Asian nation. I love chapattis and dal and curries; I love donburi, sushi, sashimi, shiokara, sukiyaki; I love kimchee chige and kalbi and bulkogi and bibimbap...and BBQ pork noodles and dim sum and pad thai and Vietnamese spring rolls and Cambodian sweet potato curry with coconut milk -- and...I need to go make dinner.
Yes, there are food stalls everywhere and most of it I won't try because the smell. Yeah, being pregnant and sensative to smells ruined it for me. But the Korean pancakes are to die for. Yum!
If you come to Seoul, we must get together! It would be fun. Lots of great stuff to see.
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