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How did the frozen Sara Lee pound cake, as seen on Netflix’s Beef, become an Asian culinary icon and loved the world over?
- Frozen Sara Lee pound cakes have been a freezer staple for Asian families for many years, and even make an appearance in the Netflix show Beef
- The cake – which can be eaten straight out of the frozen section, microwaved, grilled or even for breakfast – is ubiquitous and unconditionally loved
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I firmly believe that the Sara Lee pound cake is the Asian-American equivalent of Marcel Proust’s madeleine.
In his novel In Search of Lost Time, the French writer used the madeleine cake as a way of describing something so ordinary that you forget about it but once someone mentions it, memories come flooding back.
Food has that extraordinary power, regardless of prestige.
It struck me as I ate up the latest A24 hit show, Beef, starring Asian-American icons Steven Yeun (of Minari fame) and comedian Ali Wong. The series is full of subtle culinary references that really hit home for those they are aimed at.
The obvious tropes include hilarious homages to singing rice cookers – in this case, it trills a Kelly Clarkson hit; the comforts of instant noodles – Nongshim Shin Ramyun, naturally, receives a pointed cameo; and the soul-restoring properties of seolleongtang, or beef bone broth.
However, a real cultural moment hits unexpectedly when Danny (Yeun) arrives at the flat of his con-artist cousin Isaac (David Choe), sheepishly holding a distinctive tinfoil box in his hand as a peace offering.
Charmaine Mok is the Deputy Culture Editor at SCMP and the desk's food and wine specialist. She has been working in food media since 2007, and most memorably drank 50 coffees over three days in the name of research. She’s devoted to telling unexpected stories of the dining scene in Asia and those who shape it, and is always in the mood for noodles and/or a cheeky beverage.
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