It's a snack that's so well known in China most people would barely give it a second glance - jianbing, the roadside pancake you can grab on the go.
Until recently, these popular cheap eats were entirely unknown in the capital of convenience, New York City.
But as our correspondent Lorna Shaddick discovered, that's starting to change.
IN: UPSOT mixer... That is the sound...
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Until recently, these popular cheap eats were entirely unknown in the capital of convenience, New York City.
But as our correspondent Lorna Shaddick discovered, that's starting to change.
IN: UPSOT mixer... That is the sound...
OUT: SOC
DUR: 02.29
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/
Script:
UPSOT mixer
That is the sound of mung bean and rice flour batter being mixed. Once it's on a hot plate, add an egg…. Then scallions…. hoi sin sauce, chili paste, cilantro... and don't forget the crispy won-tons. So far, so normal for a Chinese jian bing seller.
But - what's this? Adding barbequed pork?
Now you know you're not in Beijing but at Mr. Bing's, one of the first jian bing stands in Manhattan. They serve the delicacy with American twists like barbecued pork or Peking duck. The owner, Brian Goldberg, studied Mandarin in the Chinese capital.
SOT - Brian Goldberg, Founder and CEO, Mr. Bing
Every morning before school I'd wake up and I was hungry. What do you eat for breakfast? The only thing outside the school was this little bicycle cart with an old lady on the back of it making jian bings, so that's what we ate. It was the most common, traditional breakfast to eat.
He resolved to bring it back to his hometown…. Where, at $10 a crepe, it seems to be a hit.
VOX POPS Mr Bing
This is actually my second time- the first was really good so I'm here for my second time.
Recorded on location - Lorna Shaddick, New York
Perhaps what New Yorkers value most in their food is convenience and portability. So jianbing really hits the spot - it doesn't take too long to make, so you can get yours in seconds, and then you can carry it with you to your next appointment.
And for Manhattanites, that could be… more jian bing. The city now has a choice of places offering the snack, including a bright yellow food truck, the Flying Pig.
That was founded by Dolkar Tsering, a finance student from Sichuan - and her business partner who's from Beijing. They both just wanted to get their favourite food in New York.
SOT - Dolkar Tsering, The Flying Pig food truck co-founder
We start off at Columbia, first off, with all Chinese students. Because you cannot get jianbing in Manhattan before we started, over one year, and they are so exciting. And also it tastes good, and they come back, and the news spread!
And that business model still seems to be working:
VOX POPS Flying Pig
I wanted to come here because my friends came here and they've been talking about it for a long time….
It's Chinese food I used to eat when I got out of school, so it tastes of home.
Whether it's a new experience for New Yorkers or reminds them of home, it seems this humble Chinese street food is fast becoming the Big Apple's next snack sensation. Lorna Shaddick, New York.