"Elephant" tapioca noodles - banh canh

There're many Vietnamese things I can't find in Bangor, while my parents prefer some Vietnamese noodles for dinner. If I can't find it here, I make it by myself anyway.

So yesterday, I decided to make some tapioca noodle, looks similar to Udon, but tastes different. Uncle Mike gave me a lift to Walmart, I took tapioca starch, which I hesitated before because it costs 3.18 usd - 567gr , much more expensive than the other ones. They don't have many kinds either. I wished they had had rice flour, sticky rice flour.

I didn't have the camera, but the procedure looks like below:

Making Tapioca noodle: 300 gr of tapioca flour starch, 200 gr potato starch (I found out in another recipe when everything had been finished), salt, hot water. 

Process:

Step 1: Pour tapioca flour into bowl, add more /2 teaspoon salt and mix well.

 

Step 2: Pour slowly hot water and use wood spoon to stir well. Next, use your hand to knead this mixture flour until it is soft, smooth and is not be stuck on your hands and around the basket.
 

  

 

Step 3: Press this mixture flour thinly.

  

 

Step 4: Use knife to cut mixture flour into long pieces. To create one of amazing Vietnamese Noodle Recipes like this one, before cutting, sprinkle a little tapioca flour on face of mixture flour and on knife.

  

 

Mine was like picture below

 

 

Everything was fine until Mum went home at 6:00 PM at reminded not to cut the flour too thin (but she forgot how big and how thin). Well, it looked like the picture above, but I don't think it works. Four ppl were waiting and starving while the flour is not enough, just about one small bowl only. Then I shared to four smaller bowl.

 

Chicken broth was ready, every one enjoyed and started talking. My parents and aunt were eager for Vietnamese noodles, which we never can find here, but ... the noodle is so BIG, and wasn't like what I expected at all. "You should have cut the flour thinner"- Mum said.

 

- but you told me "not too thin" Mum - I replied.

- Yes, but I didn't mean too big - Mum said.

- ...

- This is elephant tapioca noodles - Father said.

 

Every one was laughing, but we did have a great time together despite it took long time for them to chew the noodles. Ok, I'll try to make it another time.  Below is an ideal "banh canh":

Paper towel vs toilet paper/bath tissue vs napkins

This blog is recorded new life of mine in USA. This is the 4th week, we've been here. I'll try to update this "petit journal*" as often as I can.

* I remember this title is from Vietnam news in French on HTV.

The kitchen in US is much different from Vietnam. In Vietnam, mostly we use gas, while here people use electric, even the electric 110W vs 220W also. Each things in the kitchen have their own use. I was caught attention by many kind of papers such as: paper towel vs toilet paper/bath tissue vs napkins.

We have toilet paper/bath tissue & napkins in Vietnam, I wasn't sure about paper towel. I guess we can find somewhere. There's one thing I am so sure that most Vietnamese families like ours are using only one kind of "tissue"-toilet paper for diverse purposes. We call them all as one word "tissue". "Tissue" in my country is used for cleaning the dirt, absorbing water, weeping tears/mouth/face, toilet purpose, etc. So it's strange when seeing many kind of papers here. "Why do people here produce and need many kind of papers?" I asked. "I don't know either" she said.

Last time, uncle Mike gave my brother and I a lift to Walmart. When going through to paper shelve, I pointed to the toilet paper and asked uncle Mike above question.

- Why do people here produce and need many kind of papers? In Vietnam, we use only one kind of "tissue" for multi-purposes. Why not only using toilet paper to do all the things? It's much simpler. I insisted.

Uncle Mike was a bit confused at that time. I guess he was thinking an answer for me.

- Well, because this is used for behind. He looked at the toilet paper and pointed to his bottom. Really my uncle in law looks funny at that time. Perhaps, what a surprised question! and what a surprised answer too!
- Paper towel is more rough than toilet paper. We use it to clean the kitchen. He continued after a few seconds.
- Ohhh I see.

Few days later, aunt and uncle Mike came to have lunch. Aunt was told the story and showed me how to use each of papers. Here they are:

1/ Paper towel: used for cleaning kitchen.
2/ Toilet paper/bath tissue: used in the restrooms
3/ Napkins: used when having meal

Okay, make sure each of them has their own use and been used correctly.