Vietnamese
traditional cakes carry the soul of Vietnamese people and represent the
distinction of each region throughout the country. With 54 groups of ethnic
peoples, there are different kinds of traditional cakes with various flavors -
typical for Asian cuisine, free from oven baking but making use of steamer,
boiler, and banana leaves to enhance the most natural flavor of home-grown
ingredients.
The
very first kind of Vietnamese traditional cake to be mentioned is Chung cake –
a traditional and irreplaceable cake of Vietnamese people in the Tet Holidays
and King Hung’s anniversary (10th March Lunar). The legend has it that Chung
cake was invented by the 18th Prince of Hung Emperor in the contest of looking
for new Emperor, dating back to 3,000-4,000 years ago. Prince Lang Lieu, made
round and square cakes, the round symbolizing the sky and the square
symbolizing the Earth (under the ancient Vietnamese perception), to be offered
on the occasion of Spring. Since the cakes he offered were of special meaning and
delicious taste, Lang Lieu was selected to be the next Emperor. For the
Vietnamese, making "Banh Chung" is the ideal way to express gratitude
to their ancestors and homeland.
Main ingredients are glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans wrapped in a square of dong leaves that will give the rice a green color after boiling for about 12 hours by wood. In the traditional conception of Vietnamese people, the process of making Chung cake is the opportunity for family to come together. Sitting around the warm fire, all members in the family tell one another the past stories and are ready for a New Year with wishes of best things. Nowadays, in some big cities, the business lifestyle of modern society prevent people from preparing the cake, however, the habit of worship ancestors with Chung cake never changes. It is the evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and deep gratitude to ancestors.
Main ingredients are glutinous rice, pork meat, and green beans wrapped in a square of dong leaves that will give the rice a green color after boiling for about 12 hours by wood. In the traditional conception of Vietnamese people, the process of making Chung cake is the opportunity for family to come together. Sitting around the warm fire, all members in the family tell one another the past stories and are ready for a New Year with wishes of best things. Nowadays, in some big cities, the business lifestyle of modern society prevent people from preparing the cake, however, the habit of worship ancestors with Chung cake never changes. It is the evidence of the Vietnamese loyalty and deep gratitude to ancestors.
Vietnamese
Donut – “Bánh rán” is a delicious finger food for breakfast in Vietnam. There
are two main kinds of bánh rán, namely salty cake and sweet one with the former
becoming a popular snack for the youth. While the filling of sweet cake is
sweet mashed mung bean, that of salty cake is quite similar to pillow cake‘s, a
mixture of minced meat, prawn, glass noodle, veggie and etc.
What’s
more, among different types of sweet cake, the cake coated with sesame seeds is
the best choice due to its moderate sweet taste, crispy cover and subtle
fragrant. The dough is a blend of glutinous rice flour, rice flour, mashed
potato/taro and sugar. Mashed mung bean filling is rolled into ball shape,
wrapped inside the dough and then rolled over a plate of sesame to make its
sesame coat. After deep-fried, the cake is getting golden brown, crispy and
aromatic.
Green
bean cake – “Bánh đậu xanh” is usually served as snacks, just like tea
biscuits, when drinking tea. The sweet flavor of the cake blending in with
lotus tea is a perfect match when we enjoy a sip of tea. This combination
really has the power of bringing people closer in a warm atmosphere. And to
stress the difference among Banhs, Banh Dau Xanh is made purely of sugar and
mung bean powder.
Rice
cake - "Bánh tẻ" is a kind of steamed rice cake in Vietnamese cuisine,
originating from the Red River Region of northern Vietnam. Banh te are made
from non-glutinous white rice, which is soaked in water and ground into a thick
and watery mixture of water and rice powder.
This mixture is cooked to a temperature above 50oC while it
is stirred for 3 hours until it reaches the consistency of thick slurry. For
the filling, pork, onion, and shiitake mushrooms are finely minced and
combined.
To
compose the dish, a layer of rice paste is layered onto a leaf, followed by a
layer of filling, and then another layer of rice paste. The final banh is then
wrapped with the leaves tied with thread or string, forming slender cylinder.
The last step involves steaming the banh te for 20 minutes until fully cooked.
The banh te is served with Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Hon
cake - "Bánh hòn" is less popular than any other kinds of bánh family and is the
specialty of Huong Canh, Vinh Phuc province only. Non-glutinous rice is ground into powder and
kneaded until soft and sticky. The dough will be steamed then divided into
small pieces. For the cake-filling, slicing scallions will be stir-fired with
pork, wood ear mushroom; sometimes it goes well with ground peanut and black
pepper. After being wrapped and rolled into a ball shape, tiny white banh hon
is steamed again for 10 minutes. Banh hon is usually served hot by street side
vendors with very low price.
Rice
pyramid dumplings - "Bánh giò" is a steamed rice cake, often filled with meat,
mushroom and shallots. The key to achieving the perfect texture is to add a bit
of cornstarch to the rice flour to firm up the dough, then flavor it with warm
chicken broth and cook it on the stove before shaping the rice cakes. Banh gio
is one of the most popular dishes for breakfast thanks to its flavorful taste,
aromatic ingredients and convenience. Banana leaves, which are utilized to wrap
the cake not only add a wonderful additional aroma to the dish but are also
eco-friendly because of the natural and biodegradable material.
Plain
rice flan - "Bánh đúc" is considered one of the most rustic and simple cakes in
Hanoi cuisine. "Bánh đúc lạc” is the most popular in the north with a jelly
shape and mild flavor. The main ingredients are non-glutinous rice flour or
corn-flour and peanut. It is served either hot or cold, commonly with soy sauce
and sometimes with tofu. The buttery taste of peanut, rice flour, the spicy
sweet flavor of soy sauce and the cool of soft tofu are mingled perfectly
together to bring us a cool dish in hot days. In the southern, instead of being
ivory-white, banh duc is distinctive itself with green color extracted from
fragrance grass and the cool sweet taste coming from syrup or coconut juice.
Floating
cake - "Bánh trôi" is a Vietnamese dessert consisting of balls made from mung
bean paste wrapped in a shell made of glutinous rice flour. The balls are
served in a thick, sweet clear or brown liquid made of water, sugar, and grated
ginger root. It is generally warmed before eating and garnished with sesame
seeds.
Thorn
leaf cake - "Bánh gai" is one of popular Vietnam street food, which may be used as
an offering at wedding ceremonies, as gifts at longevity parties, as a snack,
appetizer, or even a dessert. The fragrant 'thorn' leaves covered with smooth
white down are an indispensable ingredient together with soaked rice flour, ground
peanuts and molasses to prepare the cake crust.
The stuffing is made of green beans, coconut shreds, sugar-coated lotus seeds and banana attar. The cakes, sprinkled with sesame, are then wrapped in dry banana leaves. After being steamed for one hour, banh gai is tasty treat when served cool.
