Pineapple Bread | Jasmine Ku

Pineapple Bread

By Jasmine Ku

When someone asks me what was my favorite food growing up, an image of bolo bao, also known as pineapple bread, immediately appears in my head. When I was a young child, its sweet, flaky, crunchy-looking top satisfied my intense desire to give myself diabetes in any way possible. Its sweetness wasn’t overwhelming, unlike almost every Western candy or dessert, yet it was enough to keep my sugar cravings at bay. It would dissolve in my mouth with every delicious bite, covering my mouth with little flakes. My favorite part of it was that it didn’t actually have pineapple in it. With every bite, memories begin to flow. Eating on the loud, early morning subway because we didn’t have time to make breakfast; a quick snack in the car on our way to church; a shared moment with my grandpa; a treat after a long day of school. Every moment was simple, yet memorable. Small, yet meaningful. Why does something so small have so much impact? In any Chinese bakery, it costs either $1 or $1.25 and can be found almost anywhere across Flushing, Queens. So what makes it so special? In college, everyone is busy engrossed in their work. They have deadlines, papers, lab reports and everything else in between. After college, everyone is worried about finding a job or applying to graduate school. Life is hectic; it’s always about moving forward. So sometimes, we need that feeling of nostalgia or a happy memory to remind us to savor life like it’s a pineapple bun.

Picture from Tara’s Multiculture Table Background from VectorStock