Baking From Around The World
Every country bakes and every country is great at it. It’s amazing to see all the different types of baked goods you can find across the globe. Each country focuses on a specific type of baked good and sometimes you will see neighboring countries with very similar baked goods. It’s ironic to see countries at war that share the love of the same baked goods. We will explore a couple countries: China and Japan.
I love visiting Japan and enjoying the delicious, buttery treats that are only found in Japan. Some treats in Japan are sugary, but most are buttery. Much like French desserts, but not as flaky.
The initial, and tremendous, popularity of bread among the Japanese is attributed to Kimura Yasubei, an enterprising gentleman who opened a bakery in Tokyo in 1871. At first his bread was modeled on Dutch loaves since his chief baker had worked as a chef in a Dutch household in Nagasaki. But Kimura’s son, Eisaburo, was unhappy with the original recipe and looked for something that would appeal more to Japanese tastes. The actual inspiration to use sake kasu instead of conventional yeast is credited to a young baker, Kodo Katsuzo, who is said to have dumped his early, inedible experiments in Tokyo Bay after trying, unsuccessfully, to peddle them to foreigners in Yokohama. Japanese treats are usually very fresh tasting and are easily shared. Next time you are in Japan, give them a shot.
Chinese baked goods are delicious and can be very filling. My favorite Chinese baked good is the Cha Siu Baau. Cha Siu Baau is either a baked or steamed bun made of soft bread on the outside and meat on the inside. The meat is slow roasted pork tenderloin and it has a delicious sauce combined with it. This is a heavier baked good, but I absolutely love it. You can see it eaten all parts of the day and it’s also very popular in America.
Also popular in China are the Sesame Balls, Jian Dui in China. The pastry is coated with sesame seeds on the outside and is crisp and chewy. Inside is a large hollow, caused by the expansion of the dough. The hollow of the pastry is filled with lotus paste, or sweet black bean paste, or red bean paste.
Definitely try these treats if you find yourself in Japan or China. Or you can probably find these treats and the asian store in your city, if you’re lucky enough to have one. And if even luckier, you’ll actually have these types of bakeries in your city.
Check out RecipeMatcher for yummy baked lemon bars and delicious sweet potato pie recipes. This article, Baking From Around The World is available for free reprint.
