虾饺 (Har Gow )
Fun fact: Although Har gow are sometimes called Shrimp Bonnets, few Chinese infants actually wear them
“Kid tested, Chinese approved.”
A Cantonese masterpiece, Har gow, the lovable little shrimp dumplings that are the pinnacle of a good Dim Sum experience, are not only delicious, but authentic enough to earn any consumer 100s of cred points. Indeed, a good taster will be able to tell what type of starch was used (tapioca, wheat, or potato) and how fresh the shrimp are. All five of my uncles are good enough to be able to tell when the scallions where picked, and what country the bamboo shoots came from.
My four cookie rating is of course attributed to the ideal Har gow, not ten minute old pigeon crap. I do feel that four cookies is appropriate since most composers who deal with Har gow know what they’re doing.
And although the authenticity associated with this masterpiece is enjoyable, it often leaves me woefully missing what GM (General Mills) likes to call brand loyalty. With the wonderfully clever food slogans available to consumers today, it’s a shame Har gow hasn’t been picked up by the bandwagon.
So I propose new cereals filled with shrimp dumplings. I can’t wait to hear “Im coo-coo for har gow!”, or “Har gow, we (shrimps) eat what we like.” The word “shrimp” really should be latched on by the snack industry as a fun way of empowering what kids always hate to be called. “Kids like Shrimp for what Shrimp has got”, “Moms like Shrimp for what Shrimp is not.”
As always, if any corporations are interested in purchasing the rights to these slogans, please see our about page for how to get in touch.
-Benjamin Bernstein
