Feature Article |
Street Fare
By April White
Bubble Tea
The wide straw, more than half an inch in diameter, is an essential component of this Asian version of iced tea, which has its roots in the tea-stand culture of Taiwan. That straw is needed to draw the slightly sweetened tapioca pearls at the bottom of the glass — they have the consistency of gummi bears — up through the cold fruit-flavored liquid. There are many recipes for bubble tea — shaken or stirred or blended with ice, with or without milk, even with or without tea — so it’s no surprise that a trend that began with traditional Asian flavors like taro root has been translated at West Philly’s Bubble House into more Western versions that include Almond Joy, Island Punch and Pumpkin Pie.
Pão de Queijo
Many cultures recognize the snackability of the simple pairing of bread and cheese. In France, the combination is a gougère (though this choux pastry and gruyère version is difficult to find in Philadelphia); in Brazil, it’s pão de queijo, and the crisp-exterior, moist-interior cheese bun is increasingly available here. Often eaten with coffee at breakfast, it’s typically made with slightly sour cassava flour and minas meia-cura, a mild, salty cheese most similar to the often-substituted parmesan. Look for it at Brazilian barbecue destinations like Center City chain Fogo de Chão and the Northeast’s Picanha Brazilian Grill.
Asian Candies
It isn’t at all unusual these days to see once-unexpected flavors — black pepper, olive oil, even celery — on the city’s dessert trays. But our Asian markets were far ahead of the anything-goes dessert trend, with offbeat sweets like chewy milk candy and gummi-bear-like treats in flavors from kiwi to lychee. The colorfully packaged goodies aren’t confined to Chinatown; we’re snacking on pumpkin hard candies, green tea jelly and red-bean cakes at accessible Asian supermarket H Mart in Upper Darby, Levittown, Elkins Park and Cherry Hill.
Hot Chocolate
Warm and satisfying, hot chocolate fills an obvious niche on cold Philadelphia winter days, but the cocoa, sugar and water combo found at diners and Northeast high-school football games now has rivals, as the city’s chocolate offerings go international. Explore at South Philly Mexican La Lupe, which melts spicy Mexican chocolate to order for its thin, fragrant brew, or just down the street at très French Rim Café, where sweet chocolate is steamed to a cotton-candy consistency.
The wide straw, more than half an inch in diameter, is an essential component of this Asian version of iced tea, which has its roots in the tea-stand culture of Taiwan. That straw is needed to draw the slightly sweetened tapioca pearls at the bottom of the glass — they have the consistency of gummi bears — up through the cold fruit-flavored liquid. There are many recipes for bubble tea — shaken or stirred or blended with ice, with or without milk, even with or without tea — so it’s no surprise that a trend that began with traditional Asian flavors like taro root has been translated at West Philly’s Bubble House into more Western versions that include Almond Joy, Island Punch and Pumpkin Pie.
Pão de Queijo
Many cultures recognize the snackability of the simple pairing of bread and cheese. In France, the combination is a gougère (though this choux pastry and gruyère version is difficult to find in Philadelphia); in Brazil, it’s pão de queijo, and the crisp-exterior, moist-interior cheese bun is increasingly available here. Often eaten with coffee at breakfast, it’s typically made with slightly sour cassava flour and minas meia-cura, a mild, salty cheese most similar to the often-substituted parmesan. Look for it at Brazilian barbecue destinations like Center City chain Fogo de Chão and the Northeast’s Picanha Brazilian Grill.
Asian Candies
It isn’t at all unusual these days to see once-unexpected flavors — black pepper, olive oil, even celery — on the city’s dessert trays. But our Asian markets were far ahead of the anything-goes dessert trend, with offbeat sweets like chewy milk candy and gummi-bear-like treats in flavors from kiwi to lychee. The colorfully packaged goodies aren’t confined to Chinatown; we’re snacking on pumpkin hard candies, green tea jelly and red-bean cakes at accessible Asian supermarket H Mart in Upper Darby, Levittown, Elkins Park and Cherry Hill.
Hot Chocolate
Warm and satisfying, hot chocolate fills an obvious niche on cold Philadelphia winter days, but the cocoa, sugar and water combo found at diners and Northeast high-school football games now has rivals, as the city’s chocolate offerings go international. Explore at South Philly Mexican La Lupe, which melts spicy Mexican chocolate to order for its thin, fragrant brew, or just down the street at très French Rim Café, where sweet chocolate is steamed to a cotton-candy consistency.
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