Burgers!

                    Dish of the Day: Burger

Happy 4th of July everyday! Me being an American, this day means a lot for my nation and for me individually. This is the day the United States of America gained independence and started building this great nation. Every year I would remember the patriotism, the fireworks, and of course, the steaming hot barbeque! Welcome to Mei Wei Café's 4th of July special where we will be discussing a very important Dish of the Day that is relevant to this holiday and to America! This time we will be tasting, hamburgers!

The one food most people think of when they think about America! The succulent burger.

Taste and Ingredients:

Oh the juicy, greasy, meaty burger is more classic and delicious than it looks or sounds. Generally the makeup of a hamburger is a cooked ground beef patty/steak between two slices of toasted bread/buns. The meat can be grilled, fried, baked, flame broiled, smoked, anything that can heat and cooked the patty to a delicious succulent burger. The fun part is the toppings and things that can go inside the burger. Anything can create a burger and make it extra special. The usual and somewhat mandatory ingredients between the hamburger are lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and a slice of cheese! (technically it will be become a cheeseburger) These toppings give the hot and heavy burger a nice crunch and new levels of flavors and a balance of nutrition. But really! Anything can become a topping! From a fried egg, avocado, bacon, mushrooms, pineapples, kimchi, and even gold, and a plethora of sauces, the beauty of the burger is how you build it to suit your taste and appetite! Traditionally the burger is served with bed of fresh French Fries (chips) and a cut of a pickle. And do not worry my vegan/vegetarian friends, nowadays there plenty of vegetarian options including meatless, lentil, black bean, tofu, and even potato patties.

A vegetarian option or a burger with a black bean burger instead of a meat patty with avocados and tomatoes.

Everything a burger should be with delicious toppings, fries, and pickles. Add a nice cold Cola and you are tasting America!

Origins and History:

The burger is bona fide delicious and full of mei wei but it is also shrouded in mystery. The controversial part of this food is its origin. Though the burger is the icon and image of American food, the burger is not necessarily as American as it seems! There is little recorded and written history on where the burger is from. The United States Library of Congress claims that it is invented by a Danish immigrant. But several other sources claim credit for creating the burger. There are several other sources that trace this back to Hamburg, Germany. Hamburger being named after Hamburg is a very likely origin. Being a port city, German sailors or northern European immigrants coming to America from Hamburg might have introduced and popularized this dish. Historically minced patties and bread has always been eaten separately especially in Europe. Most likely several people invented this dish as it seems rather simple and convenient to combine bread and patty. The burger is well associated with America and it well should be, as America is created upon immigrant influence and serves as a melting pot society. It was not until the 1950s when burgers got popular due to the spread of outdoor and indoor grilling, especially on 4th of July! A reason for this popularity is to show off the fortune and simple and happy lifestyle of the average American household during the Cold War. Regardless of its background and history, proper thanks should be given to various creators for crafting such an ingenious dish!

Usually the patties and bread are eaten separately.

Variations:

Ever since the burger blew up internationally it has spread to so many countries and the tables of everyone! Due to it being easy to make and uses relatively cheap beef to make, it is a popular way to enjoy a stereotypically American and filling meal. Burgers now have so many classes ranging from cheap fast food quality burgers to high end very fancy burgers.

The quality of burgers could range from this basic fast food burger,

To this sit down diner quality,

And this... very over the top burger made by the best chefs with truffles, gold, and who knows what with a whopping price tag.

Besides beef several other patties could be made into a burger including pork, chicken, seafood, and even popular American restaurants serve exotic burgers like bison and kangaroo. There are also so many different kinds of burgers like sliders (mini burgers), patty melts (burgers with slices of toast instead of buns), Salisbury/Hamburg Steak (a burger without buns and a layer of sauce is usually the only topping), steak tartar (Raw Hamburg Steaks seasoned), protein styled (burgers with lettuce as buns), and even Ramen Burgers! (Burgers with ramen buns). Being an international dish, there are also other countries with their own unique versions of burgers like the Turkish kofta, the Serbian pljeskavica, the Danish Bofsandwhich, and even the Vegetarian Indian Vada Pav made of potatoes.

Salisbury/Hamburg Steak is just the burger and nothing else. Historically, this is how burgers were served.

Steak Tartar, a form of burger that is actually raw! This is actually very delicious and doesn't taste like anything it looks like!

Some genius created the Ramen burger molding ramen into buns.

Some variations of the burger can be very interesting as well, like the luther burger with frosted donuts as the bun... Yes nothing sounds more American than a greasy burger with fried bacon between two glazed donuts... Speaking of American, there exists a food challenge that is so American it can put any others to shame. Around America, massive burger challenges exist where huge burgers weighing as much as 5lbs (around 2.2 kg) and sometimes even more are give to individuals to devour within a certain timeframe! Wherever there is a burger culture, there will be variations to keep us refreshed and entertained.

Huge burger challenges like this exist all over the US! Inbox me for my personal story...

Luther burger, the dream of some and nightmare of many... well don't judge until you try!

Influence and Aftermath:

As stated earlier, burgers are an international phenomenon and is one of the most consumed foods in the world and one of the most influential ones as well. Not only has it influenced itself into the diet and local cuisines of everywhere around the world, several restaurants particularly fast food restaurants are influenced by burgers. Burgers are one of the most sold food items especially in America. This has lead to massive production of  burger patties which are usually frozen and easy to cook at home and at restaurants with a longer shelf life than usual. This is done to keep in demand with burgers in the US and around the world. Due to the popularity of burgers in America and it being America's culinary icon, the media loves to spread this image. Knowing how influential American media like Hollywood can be, burgers in the media has made its way around the world and everyone knows about it and a lot of people want to have some of. The desire comes from easy access and all the cool American actors chowing down on this delicious sandwich. Being so easy to get, cheap, tasty, and culturally acceptable, we can see why the burger can be so popular especially with the younger crowd. Of course we have to mention the controversy of the nutritional and health dangers that fast food lifestyles could bring as shown by several documentaries. It is true that eating a lot of fast food chains, burgers being one of the major fast food restaurants, will cause damage. However several other sources point out its all about control and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So just pay attention to the quality and quantity of consumption like you do with all foods, then we will be safely able to enjoy burgers!



Fast food burgers like this from In N Out are mass produced and sold all over the world with the ever-growing demand.

Closing Thoughts:


We live in a globalized world where it is easy to communicate with one another and easy to share ideas. So nowadays almost everyone knows about burgers, making it a dish we can all somehow relate to. Each dish has a story to tell and a flavor to be explored, burgers prove to be very relevant to everyone so tell me about your favorite burger, toppings, and some variations in your hometown! Contact me for further questions, comment, things I failed to cover, and other suggestions for the next Dish of the Day! Its been real, see you guys next time at Mei Wei Café! Happy 4th of July and happy grilling up those burgers! Also, stay tuned as I will make a Top 10 list of burger chains and restaurants in the US and around the world to check out!


Contact me at:

Meiweicafe@gmail.com

Croissant

                Dish of the Day: Croissant

Salut! As of now the UEFA European Cup is ongoing in France! Soccer (football) is a huge cultural phenomenon and a joy to have when a major tournament comes around. Being a soccer fan and a supporter of Les Bleus, (The French National Team) I will dedicate a post in respect of the beautiful game and out of love for the beautiful nation of France. Speaking of beautiful, today we will talk about a dish as classic and beautiful as French food gets. A food that is crafted so perfectly that it has been praised and sought out for generations. Today on Dish of the Day we will be talking about the perfection known as the French croissant.

The treasure of France, it is almost a mystery why a croissant in France is better than anywhere else in the world!

Breakfast? Eat it. Lunchtime? Eat it. Dinner? Eat it. Snack? Eat it. Partied so hard its 3:30 am and you're hungover? Eat at least two.

Croissant:

Here's a fact, 32 million croissants are consumed in France everyday. That is 736,000,000,000 calories. Yes that is true because this flaky pastry is made of dough and butter. So you may wonder, why are French people so fit? That is actually a question no one can answer called the French Paradox. Regardless of the bread, butter, cheese, and wine consumed by the French, they will somehow always remain fit. I wish I was French. Croissants are European pastries in the category called Viennoiserie which is known for flaky and rolled pastries. These pastries are sweetened and often known as the bridge between bread and pastries. Croissants are a masterpiece that cannot be explained entirely without tasting an authentic French croissants. Yes a real croissant is NOTHING like the ones from grocery stores. It is a perfect way to start your day, and even ending your day.

History:

The origin of the croissant is shrouded in mystery with so many tales linking to this pastry. It can be understood why so many places want to claim this pastry, but it can be concluded that croissants trace their origins to Paris, Austria, or Budapest. One story was Marie Antoinette popularizing this pastry. Since marrying into royalty Antoinette was forced to leave everything she loved back in Austria. She had a hard time in Versailles, and did not partake in many events often thinking of home. One thing she does is have a crescent shaped pastry every morning. This was the only thing that felt like home for her. Through this, she popularized this pastry and was known as croissant. Another popular theory is that August Zang, an Austrian, opened up an Austrian bakery in Paris which specialized in a crescent shaped pastry called kipfel. It was so popular that the locals adapted it into their staple foods and named it after the crescent shape, croissant. Before it was popularized and called a croissant, it was called a kipfel from Austria/Hungary. It is said that kipfels are made during the 17th Century when the Ottoman were trying to invaded Europe. A local baker discovered the secret passage and foiled the plot. To celebrate, the baker made pastries shaped liked the crescents of the Ottoman flag. And then the rest is history!

Kipfels are more crescent shaped and are the first croissant. 

Taste:

Imagine, you are in Paris sitting in a little cafe right by the busy Champs D'Lysee. In front of you is the monumental Arc De Triomphe and in hindsight is the breathtaking Eiffel Tower. The waitress came by with a cup of Cafe Creme and a croissant. "Bon Appetit!" With the croissant in your hand, you take a bite. Light flaky crisp with a soft pillow of buttery dough inside. Your first impression is to take another bite. You take a dip of the crescent pastry into the coffee and Mon Dieu! The taste of a croissant is sweet and even somewhat savory. The best croissant has the perfect ratio of crisp and softness. This pastry melts in your mouth and melts your heart into heaven. This is something I would cross the ocean over and over again to taste. Its so light and fluffy, I can eat a dozen! Enjoy this with a cup of coffee and have yourself a nice Parisian breakfast. When in France, do as the locals do, live life and eat croissants.

Coffee and Croissants, classic, simple, and must have!

Walk into a boulangerie and astound yourself with some of the best sights and smells!

To eat a croissant, many options are possible. Most people like it plain, others like it with coffee, and some like it with condiments. Butter, jam, and nutella are all very good with croissants. There are now savory options of croissants like Croissant Jambon Fromage. Croissant with ham and cheese have been a popular savory variation of croissant.

Croissants are good with anything! Especially butter and jam.

Croissant Jambon Fromage, croissant with ham and cheese.

Influence and Variations:

We all know that croissants are very popular and influential as we associate it immediately with French food, but it really does have a great impact on pastries around the world. There are many nations adopting the croissant and having their own unique variations of it. Since its popularity, croissants do not only take shape as a crescent. There are now so many shapes! Including those that look like horns or ones that are more straight. There are also many variations topped with sugar or stuffed with filling like jam and custard. France itself has a lot of variations of the croissant, like Pain aux Raisins and of course the Pain au Chocolat. Yes, the pain au chocolat is the most popular variation of croissant that is shorter and filled with chocolat! My first meal in France was a pain au chocolat and immediately I fell in love with the country. Imagine the goodness of the croissant with dripping chocolate inside, what's not to like?!

Pain aux Raisins, croissant with raisins.

The best variation, pain au chocolat!

Look at that chocolate in that center... Mon Dieu! Please take me back to France.

Other European nations also have their own twists on the classic croissant. Besides Austria and Hungary, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland and Italy also have interesting variations. Germans like it glazed or with marzipan, the Swiss likes them a little lighter, Italians have brioche, which is softer and sometimes with fillings, Polish has variations with nuts and almonds, and the Portuguese like it with filling, sugar, and their croissants look quite different. Outside of Europe, the croissant has made itself into the cuisines of other nations like the United States, Argentina, and Japan. Americans love to make the croissant into a sandwich adding cheese, ham, egg, and you name it! The famous Dominique Anseld in New York City has also created a cronut, a fusion of the croissant and the doughnut. Argentinians have it very regularly with breakfast and coffee, and the Japanese have developed their own version of pain au chocolat making it into a horn shaped pastry called a Cornett. So overall, croissants are the pride of France but it has made its way into the kitchen and mouths all around the world.

American sandwich with croissant, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

Some variations are filled with jam and topped with sugar.

Japan has their own version of the pain au chocolat, the Chocolate Cornett!

Portuguese croissants that look much different than its French counterpart

The Cronut! Innovative and delicious.

Closing thoughts:

I love soccer, I love France, I love croissants. Hoping that the power of the croissants can bring the French team to glory! Croissants are a delicious part of the French cuisine and a perfect way to start your morning. If you have only been accustomed to grocery store mass produced croissants, then you are missing out on something so beautiful it will completely reinvent your mind about French bakery. As always, feel free to contact me with questions, comments, and ideas on the next Dish of the Day! Hopefully you guys learned something today or at least drooled a bit. I'm now gonna take a hike from America to France to taste one of the best pastries in the world. See you guys next time. Au Revoir, Allez Les Bleus!

Contact me at:

Meiweicafe@gmail.com

Xiao Long Bao 小笼包

           Dish of the Day: Xiao Long Bao!


If we were to imagine the most iconic kind of food in the Chinese cuisine, a lot of us would default to dumplings. That might be easy to some people but the Chinese has mastered the art of folding dumplings. The 4,000 years of history of China has led China to produce one of the widest spectrum of dumplings. So even among dumplings in the Chinese cuisine, there are so many types to choose from!

Fried Jiaozi (top left) Wonton (top right) Steamed Baozi (bottom left) Steamed Jiaozi (bottom right)

There are so many kinds of dumplings to choose from each from a specific region and prepared in a distinct style. While each dumpling is delicious in its own unique way, there is one in kind of dumpling that stands above and beyond from its competitors. This succulent dumpling has a unique texture and is literally mouth watering delicious! Welcome to Dish of the Day where I will be focusing on a specific dish; this week we will be talking about my all-time favorite Chinese dish: Xiao Long Bao! 小笼包！

                                    XLB

Xiao Long Bao is a very popular dumpling dish originating from northern Southeast China, specifically near the Shanghai area. Xiao Long Bao has so many names and nicknames throughout China and the world! Xiao Long Bao 小笼包 literally means "Little Dragon Buns" or sometimes even "Little Basket Buns" as these dumplings are usually steamed and served in a bamboo basket, and "xiao long bao" could be translated as either or. In the west these dumplings are commonly referred to as Soup Dumplings, or Shanghai Soup Dumplings. The specialty of this dish is as its name suggests, filled with soup! I personally like to nickname these, "The Dragon Princess of Chinese dumplings." Okay, I am not that weird, just hear me out. Xiao Long Bao is one of the most popular dishes in Southern China and its specialty is how fragile and powerful it tastes. It is very small yet one of the most important players in the kingdom of Chinese dumplings. 

Crab and Pork XLB, one of the most popular fillings. 

History:

The exact origin of Xiao Long Bao is not clear, as people are known to have made this dish for quite some time. However, it can be stated that it was created in the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century in the suburb of Nanxiang, located in Shanghai. Nanxiang is now a famous tourist destination since it is considered the birthplace of the Xiao Long Bao, especially Guyi Garden, where it is said that this is the exact location where the first Xiao Long Bao was sold. So if you guys ever get hooked on XLB, make sure to make a pilgrimage to the birthplace! Nanxiang is very easy to visit from Shanghai. 

Nanxiang suburb, where XLB is said to have originated.

Nanxiang Mantou Dian, one of the oldest vendors still serving XLB!

Geographically speaking, Xiao Long Bao makes perfect sense. Compared to dumplings and buns of northern China which is very hearty and meaty, the Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao is more conservative in dough and meat yet having a flavor just as strong. South China has a more warm and fertile climate, more suited for rice paddies than fields of wheat. Shanghai is in the weird situation where it is in the center, too south to be called northern and too northern to be called southern. Northern China has foods that are hearty and contain dough, while South China has more elegant flavors like soup. Some genius in Nanxiang decided to mix both, and so the Xiao Long Bao infuses both the use of northern dough and southern soup. The best of both worlds!

The unique features about Xiao Long Bao are the delicate and almost transparent skin and the succulent soup inside. 

Notice how thin the skin is! As if it is almost transparent

Inside the delicate skin has a soup that is full of flavor!

Eating XLB:

The most fun and tricky part of eating Xiao Long Bao is making sure you don't break the skin and lose all the soup! However you want to do it, whether it is popping the whole thing in your mouth and letting the juice burst, or nibbling the delicate skin and drinking the soup first, nothing is wrong! Eating this dumpling you must always use a spoon to catch the soup. GENTLY pick up the dumpling from the bamboo basket and put it on the spoon, and the next is up to you! Eating this would not be complete without a special sauce, a mixture of Chinese vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger. People love to mix this sauce with the soup! It makes the soup less oily and gives it a rich sour-savory taste.

This sauce has "Shanghai" written all over it!

Taste:

Chinese buns and dumplings will fill you up fast, but Xiao Long Bao are only meant as snacks or "xiao chi"(literally means little eats). These bite sized dumplings usually come in an order of 6 or 8 and shared at one table. But don't underestimate these little guys because they pack a punch much bigger than their actual size. For someone who has never had Xiao Long Bao, it will give them a delicious and juicy surprise! When you bite down, you will first taste the thin crepe-like skin followed by the soup which is savory, smooth, and greasy. Lastly the filling, which is either pork, shrimp, or crab and pork, can be tasted with every ingredient putting in its best effort to make you come back for me. The ginger, white pepper, scallion, and even the wine inside are all bursting with flavor. Now you will understand why the Chinese pride their dumplings so much!

OH YES!!!

Influence:

Xiao Long Bao was indeed invented in Shanghai during the Guangxu Period, but it did not get international recognition without the help of Taiwan and the giant Taiwanese chain, Din Tai Fung. During the late 1900's popular Taiwanese restaurant Din Tau Fung started to serve Xiao Long Bao allowing customers to witness the chefs making each bun. This was great as it showed the proper and delicate way to knead the dough and fold the skin, and eventually Xiao Long Bao became a widespread phenomenon at Taiwan. Din Tai Fung as we know today is one of the most successful Asian chains still retaining its authentic taste, and it has since expanded to America where it instantly became a hit. Now you can find Xiao Long Bao at almost every authentic Chinese restaurant in the US and the Western World. Now Xiao Long Bao is one of the most popular Chinese in the world with many Chinese people introducing this dish as what real Chinese food is like. Some restaurants have so many creative variations of Xiao Long Bao including different flavor of skin and even dessert options with chocolate filling! Some restaurants that are particularly notable in America is of course Din Tai Fung in the West Coast and Joe's Shanghai in the East Coast. I know Kung Fu Dumpling in NYC has chocolate Xiao Long Bao! The best Xiao Long Bao place is arguable Jia Jia Tang Bao in Shanghai, and Nanxiang Mantou Dian in Nanxiang is only of the oldest restaurants to serve Xiao Long Bao. 

Rainbow XLB with different flavor of skin!

What a fusion... Chocolate XLB?

Jia Jia Tang Bao in Shanghai, people say it has the best XLB in the World!

In the West Coast DTF is the most famous Asian chain, of course with XLB.

The East Coast's Joe's Shanghai is DTF's top competitor!

Final Verdict:

I am Chinese and I love my culture and take a lot of pride of our cuisine. But if I had to choose a favorite dish, it would be one of the toughest choices of my life (I'm not kidding) but I would have to say its the Xiao Long Bao. There really isn't anything in the world that comes close to this dish! My final verdict is of course to try one ASAP! Then be like me addicted and planning a trip to Shanghai as I type this blog. So my fellow foodies, go and try one and let me know how you think! Also let me know what suggestions you guys have for the next Dish of the Day and let me know if I missed any details. Its been real, but I am so hungry I have to go, and you guys should come to! I will see you guys next time in Nanxiang!

Contact me at: meiweicafe@gmail.com