Importance of these bakeries from a more general lens

Chinese bakeries play an important role within the community because they enhance the quality of local food options. They can be found in almost all Asian communities (China town, Flushing main street, 8th avenue Brooklyn).Think of them like McDonald’s but without the option for mobile order. When you enter any of these bakeries, you’d be overwhelmed with the variety of options on display. Some common Chinese bakery products are: 

• Pastry: Ham & egg bun, cha siu bao (roasted pork), Pineapple bun, Rousong bun (Pork fu), egg tart
• Drinks: Milk tea, tea, coffee, Yuanyang (blend of tea and coffee)
• Variety of desserts such as cookies and cakes. 

The difference between these and European ones is that Chinese baked goods use a lot less sugar and butter and the bread is softer (resulting from use of less yeast and separating the yolk and the white. They have a distinct flavor that is familiar for many asian immigrants, providing them with native foods and also an experience for non-asians to try something new. They also have a blend of western tastes with inclusion like bacon egg and cheese buns. Most of the pastries sell out by late afternoon and ones that are not bought on the same day, are usually thrown out. Prices have increased in the recent years due to inflation but most pastries still remain at a reasonable price around $2.

Researched by: Nicole Chen, Derek Dong, Alex Ma