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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:02:09

Title: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:02:09
One of our clients is Vietnamese, and gave us at work a box of these.

What actually are they?

I tried searching but just found a hotel and a newspaper - probably need the accents on the characters for a real search (and then probably wouldn't be able to read the results anyway).

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:10:58
Googling the name gave me this:
(http://www.giabao.com.vn/upload/giabao/images/2013_8_25_12_10_4716.JPG)

Same name, just split up into two sections. Looks like they're green bean pastries.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: eth0s on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:12:31
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:02:09
One of our clients is Vietnamese, and gave us at work a box of these.

What actually are they?

I tried searching but just found a hotel and a newspaper - probably need the accents on the characters for a real search (and then probably wouldn't be able to read the results anyway).

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

why don't you eat one and find out?  how bad could it be?
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:13:36
I've had a few of them.  One of the guys at work reckons they taste like sawdust.  I reckon more like caramel.

They are quite nice - I was just wondering what I've been eating.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:16:14
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:13:36
I've had a few of them.  One of the guys at work reckons they taste like sawdust.  I reckon more like caramel.

They are quite nice - I was just wondering what I've been eating.

Those vietnamese pastries look similar to the chinese moon cake versions.
(http://veganlogy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Pandan-MoonCake.jpg)

It's pretty much a sweet, dry exterior (almost powdery) w/ red/green bean paste stamped together. Make sure to have something to drink (usually hot tea) while you eat these pastries, as they are quite dry.

I guess that's why your colleague thinks it's similar to sawdust..
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:18:19
Bean paste ... mmmkay ...
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:20:11
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:18:19
Bean paste ... mmmkay ...

What's wrong with bean paste?   :-[

Red bean mochi also uses red bean paste as a filling...
(http://img.21food.com/20110609/product/1306837495944.jpg)


...All these snacks are making me hungry.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: phoenix1234 on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:33:01
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:02:09
One of our clients is Vietnamese, and gave us at work a box of these.
What actually are they?
I tried searching but just found a hotel and a newspaper - probably need the accents on the characters for a real search (and then probably wouldn't be able to read the results anyway).
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link)

They are basically cake. In the ingredients, you can see: green beans, sugar, oil, grapefruit flowers natural aroma. Hai Duong province is the place in Vietnam you can find the best quality of this kind of cake. Usually, you need to have this with tea because it's very sweet, extremely sweet actually.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: eth0s on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:42:17
Yes, Vietnamese green bean paste confections are quite good.   

What you are eating are called "Rong Vang".  Or Banh dau xanh rong vang.  Gia Bao is the brand name, or the company that makes them.   Banh means "cake".  So you are eating green bean cakes.  The ingredients are sugar, green bean paste, flour, water.  Sometimes coffee beans are added to give it a kick.  I don't know if yours have caffeine or not.  Probably yes, since you seem to like them.  Sugar + Caffeine + Protein is a winning combination.  They might have more calories than you think, so be careful, if you're on a diet.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 02:44:44
Quote from: Zeal on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:20:11
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:18:19
Bean paste ... mmmkay ...

What's wrong with bean paste?   :-[

Red bean mochi also uses red bean paste as a filling...
Show Image
(http://img.21food.com/20110609/product/1306837495944.jpg)



...All these snacks are making me hungry.

Nothing at all wrong with bean paste!

It's just one of the last things I would have cross-referenced to these.

As I said, to me they taste like caramel :)

And I got the last one :))
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: tbc on Sun, 02 March 2014, 04:11:08
for people, if bean paste sounds weird to you, just think how weird peanut butter is ;)
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Elrick on Sun, 02 March 2014, 05:19:37
Quote from: Zeal on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:20:11
Quote from: rowdy on Sun, 02 March 2014, 01:18:19
Bean paste ... mmmkay ...

What's wrong with bean paste?   :-[

Red bean mochi also uses red bean paste as a filling...
Show Image
(http://img.21food.com/20110609/product/1306837495944.jpg)



...All these snacks are making me hungry.

I tried one in Ha Noi and it was so sweet it's like biting into a jelly marsh mellow with glucose poured into it.  Literally my teeth wanted to jump out of my mouth.  I suppose it's okay for oldies with falsies because you can take out your manufactured teeth and gum it to death.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: berserkfan on Sun, 02 March 2014, 09:42:48
Don't look for Gia Bao; it's the brand (Family Treasures)

As for the pastry itself, no thank you. I'm not a kid anymore. I'll call these pian gina pia (pastries for bluffing kids). Seriously sticky and sweet stuff to keep the kids occupied and better than conventional biscuits because they don't leave crumbs. I don't even eat mooncakes or winter balls (whatever the heck these things translate as) anymore- just pass these sinful carbo-laden things to the kids to polish off.

Vietnamese food is better in the US than in Asia.  :'(

I'm convinced they export their best stuff to the US, because anything I buy is suspiciously cheap and tastes cheap.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: tbc on Sun, 02 March 2014, 17:01:00
^ shame on you!

mooncake is one of the greatest food pleasures!

try chinese red paste with 2 egg yolks.  ****ing heaven.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Lanx on Sun, 02 March 2014, 21:55:11
white ppl...
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: berserkfan on Mon, 03 March 2014, 23:14:29
Quote from: tbc on Sun, 02 March 2014, 17:01:00
^ shame on you!

mooncake is one of the greatest food pleasures!

try chinese red paste with 2 egg yolks.  ****ing heaven.

Shame on me?

Try that around the mooncake festival when your family gets like 10 boxes and you run out of people to give it to (because you've given out 15 boxes).

Mooncakes are freaking heavy on the stomach. You can't eat more than 1/2 a mooncake at one go or your tummy will hurt. Whenever I see mooncakes, I think of my last binge, and stay far away.

Actually last year I wanted to recommend that people use Mooncake boxes to store things. They're awesome for keeping your keyboard odds and ends. I use mooncake boxes for my teensies, adapters, mx stems, buckling spring keycaps and more!
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: IPT on Mon, 03 March 2014, 23:34:16
Quote from: berserkfan on Mon, 03 March 2014, 23:14:29
Quote from: tbc on Sun, 02 March 2014, 17:01:00
^ shame on you!

mooncake is one of the greatest food pleasures!

try chinese red paste with 2 egg yolks.  ****ing heaven.

Shame on me?

Try that around the mooncake festival when your family gets like 10 boxes and you run out of people to give it to (because you've given out 15 boxes).

Mooncakes are freaking heavy on the stomach. You can't eat more than 1/2 a mooncake at one go or your tummy will hurt. Whenever I see mooncakes, I think of my last binge, and stay far away.

Actually last year I wanted to recommend that people use Mooncake boxes to store things. They're awesome for keeping your keyboard odds and ends. I use mooncake boxes for my teensies, adapters, mx stems, buckling spring keycaps and more!

maybe your stomach, my dad/mom eat one each by themselves.

I personally don't like mooncakes so i just eat like a quarter for the purpose of the holiday.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:17:41
I somehow managed to divert the topic from gia baos to mooncakes... :p
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: berserkfan on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:29:53
Quote from: projectD on Mon, 03 March 2014, 23:34:16


maybe your stomach, my dad/mom eat one each by themselves.

I personally don't like mooncakes so i just eat like a quarter for the purpose of the holiday.
[/quote]


GASP

Your dad and mom are not American sized, are they?  :p

My entire family struggles to finish 1 standard double yolk lotus seed mooncake per day. Oh, that's only the adults. Seems the kids can polish off 1 mooncake per kid each day, but they don't want to help with the lotus seed, almond, chestnut, walnut, or any other variants and have a tendency to eat just the skin, or the yolk, or whatever leaving a sticky black-brown mess. (This being Singapore, not many people actually eat traditional skins - usually it's more sticky durian or pandan or red bean artificially flavored skins intended to gum up the mouths of little kids.)
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: iri on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:52:06
oh, those asians. eat normal pastries!

[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 01:10:00
Quote from: iri on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:52:06
oh, those asians. eat normal pastries!

(Attachment Link)

Upon first look, I thought those were the super large dried mushrooms found in herbal stores....
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: tbc on Tue, 04 March 2014, 01:30:33
Quote from: berserkfan on Mon, 03 March 2014, 23:14:29
Quote from: tbc on Sun, 02 March 2014, 17:01:00
^ shame on you!

mooncake is one of the greatest food pleasures!

try chinese red paste with 2 egg yolks.  ****ing heaven.

Shame on me?

Try that around the mooncake festival when your family gets like 10 boxes and you run out of people to give it to (because you've given out 15 boxes).

Mooncakes are freaking heavy on the stomach. You can't eat more than 1/2 a mooncake at one go or your tummy will hurt. Whenever I see mooncakes, I think of my last binge, and stay far away.

Actually last year I wanted to recommend that people use Mooncake boxes to store things. They're awesome for keeping your keyboard odds and ends. I use mooncake boxes for my teensies, adapters, mx stems, buckling spring keycaps and more!

i've been known to eat 3 in one sitting.  the ONLY reason I don't eat the lsat one is that you're obligated to share mooncake lol :P ;)

EDIT:

my extended family actually freezes mooncakes they don't finish and wait for me to come over and finish them off :D
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Parak on Tue, 04 March 2014, 01:35:43
Quote from: iri on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:52:06
oh, those asians. eat normal pastries!

(Attachment Link)

Ogod.. пряники... now I'm hungry.. I can eat those things forever.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: iri on Tue, 04 March 2014, 02:00:41
Quote from: Parak on Tue, 04 March 2014, 01:35:43
Quote from: iri on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:52:06
oh, those asians. eat normal pastries!

(Attachment Link)

Ogod.. пряники... now I'm hungry.. I can eat those things forever.
you must be american-sized. i can eat only on of those pictured in a day.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 04 March 2014, 03:10:46
Quote from: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:17:41
I somehow managed to divert the topic from gia baos to mooncakes... :p

So they are not the same things?  I was wondering ...
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: berserkfan on Tue, 04 March 2014, 04:12:27
Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 04 March 2014, 03:10:46
Quote from: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:17:41
I somehow managed to divert the topic from gia baos to mooncakes... :p

So they are not the same things?  I was wondering ...

I’m amused at the many people who still call these Gia Baos.

When you call 1800-Dominos and get a flat bread with cheese on it in a blue and red box, are you buying dominos or pizza? Just because that box has a big Domino’s printed on it, doesn’t mean that it is a game like chess or checkers.

These are Banh Dau Xanh. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1nh_%C4%90%E1%BA%ADu_Xanh

And TBC, OMG, American style eating – freeze everything for future use! Do you do that for your yearcakes also? (hee, hee)

And those who don’t know, Green Beans have very high fiber content. So yes, they really fill your tummy. If you can eat 3 mooncakes in 1 sitting you probably have been cheated by some maker who filled his mooncake with white flour. This being America, I don’t trust the Chinese food there because people like to use that disgusting MSG and food coloring. I remember I ate more Thai or Vietnamese food because at least these guys didn’t use MSG.
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 04:17:02
Quote from: berserkfan on Tue, 04 March 2014, 04:12:27
Quote from: rowdy on Tue, 04 March 2014, 03:10:46
Quote from: Zeal on Tue, 04 March 2014, 00:17:41
I somehow managed to divert the topic from gia baos to mooncakes... :p

So they are not the same things?  I was wondering ...

I’m amused at the many people who still call these Gia Baos.

When you call 1800-Dominos and get a flat bread with cheese on it in a blue and red box, are you buying dominos or pizza? Just because that box has a big Domino’s printed on it, doesn’t mean that it is a game like chess or checkers.

These are Banh Dau Xanh. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1nh_%C4%90%E1%BA%ADu_Xanh

And TBC, OMG, American style eating – freeze everything for future use! Do you do that for your yearcakes also? (hee, hee)

And those who don’t know, Green Beans have very high fiber content. So yes, they really fill your tummy. If you can eat 3 mooncakes in 1 sitting you probably have been cheated by some maker who filled his mooncake with white flour. This being America, I don’t trust the Chinese food there because people like to use that disgusting MSG and food coloring. I remember I ate more Thai or Vietnamese food because at least these guys didn’t use MSG.

I think people just find the real name of the cake hard to spell so they reference the title :P

Yearcakes... :))
----

Unfortunately, lots of Pho places around my area put MSG in their soup base.  :(  Good thing I always get the lemon grass chicken rice  :thumb:
Title: Re: What are Gia Bao?
Post by: berserkfan on Tue, 04 March 2014, 11:11:30
yearcake: there's one on my cupboard facing the door now. Its supposed to be a blessing of sorts. You keep it for a year and then eat it, if you dare.  :p

My mother insisted on putting it there a few years ago and she seems to have forgotten about it. I actually am very curious as to whether it is still edible.

You want to know how to tell if someone is authentically Chinese? He goes to the zoo and wonders how the animals taste.  :p

But hey, we keep 10+year old tea biscuits in the house. Sooner or later we'll consume them.