Koryodang Bakery: Red Bean Paste Bun & Sweet Rice Ball
Its pretty nice living out in Bayside, Queens. There’s so many places to eat, especially Korean food. After eating some Korean Fried Chicken at Kyochon (post coming soon), I still had enough room for a sweet snack. Right across the street from Kyochon on Northern Blvd (and 157th street), there’s a Koryodang. It’s a nice bakery with a lots of treats, breads, pastries, cakes and drinks. They have a good variety of baked goods, some items being similiar to that of Chinese Bakeries. If you have time and near a Koryodang, definitely stop by, grab a snack and drink. Don’t be afraid to try out a few of their snacks. Enjoy!
Koryodang Bakery Pastries
Daifuku Mochi – Sesame & Black Sesame Rice Cake
Daifuku Mochi, Japanese rice cakes, sweet little treats usually filled with red bean paste although there are variations of fruit filling. Sometimes they are covered in corn starch to keep them from sticking to each other. The two pictured are Sesame (Shiro Goma) and Black Sesame (Kuro Goma) covered and about the size of your palm. The other version is about the size of a half-dollar coin. If you love tasty treats or love Red Bean, have a try at these, they can be found at any Japanese market and sometimes Asian supermarkets.
Daifuku Mochi Sesame & Black Sesame (Shiro Goma & Kuro Goma)
Daifuku Mochi Sesame & Black Sesame (Shiro Goma & Kuro Goma)
Daifuku Mochi Sesame & Black Sesame (Shiro Goma & Kuro Goma)
Lotus Seed Bun
Have you ever seen these before? Perhaps you have at a Chinese Bakery or at Dim Sum. They are known as Lotus Seed Buns. It’s a simple pastry made of dough, lotus seed paste in the center, and a bit of food coloring, usually in the shape of a peach. Sometimes it will be be completely covered in food coloring but the most appealing are the ones that look like the ones below, white and a hint of pink.
Lotus Seed Buns
The Lotus Seed Paste is a sweet paste thats wonderful when hot. This is not to be confused with Red Bean Paste of course. Red Bean Paste is much more common. Both of these are used in Mooncakes during the Lunar Holidays. You can find them at Chinese Bakeries with the Red Bean Buns being the most common. There’s also buns that have nothing in them but a hint of sweetness that are also commonly sold called “mantou”.
If you ever have the chance whether you’re near a Chinese Bakery or at Dim Sum, definitely try it. Guaranteed you’ll love it. Sometimes you can also find small versions of these in refrigerated packages at Asian Super Markets.
