Studious snack: While the cake is a popular dish in Hanoi, it is particularly favoured by students, for whom it is a tasty, affordable snack. As a result, many food stalls near schools sell this delicacy. (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Among the myriad Vietnamese dishes made with rice,be it main courses, side-dishes or snacks that are meals in themselves, thesoftest gluey texture belongs to the banh gio (rice dough dumplingwith minced pork and wood ear mushrooms inside).
As both main versions of the New Year celebrated in the country, based onGregorian and Lunar calendars, approach, many Vietnamese citizens begin,mentally and actually, rubbing their hands in anticipation of treatingthemselves to snacks that seem to be at their tastiest best in winter.
These include the banh chung (square sticky rice cake), banhgiay (white flat cake made of glutinous rice with or without mung beansinside), banh ran (fried pancake), banh tom Ho Tay (deep friedshrimp cakes in West Lake) and banh gio (rice dough dumpling withminced pork and wood ear mushrooms).
The last mentioned snack, the banh gio, is favoured as a breakfast dishand as an after-school supper dish for children.
A banh gio served hot stands alongside a bowl of steaming hot,aromatic pho as dishes of choice on a misty, chilly morning in thecapital city.
Plastic glove, natural cover: The pyramid-shaped rice dough dumpling is wrapped in layers of banana leaves.(Source: VNA)To appreciate its lure, imagine you are tucking yourself into a warmblanket, thinking it is too cold to go out for food. It is at this time thatyou hear the itinerant banh gio vendor shouting out his ware. Justthe thought of biting into the hot juicy cake gets you out of bed in a jiffy,sending a small prayer of gratitude for the vendor appearing just at thatmoment.
And at just 15,000 to 30,000 VND (70 USD cents to 1.4 USD) each, a banhgio offers great value for money.
The pyramid-shaped rice dough dumpling is wrapped in layers of banana leaves.Once the leaves have been removed to reveal the translucent dumpling, experteaters just bite into it cupping the leaves in their hands, but spreading theleaves out and using a teaspoon is a far “safer” option in terms of avoiding amess.
Once the teaspoon cuts into the cake, thefilling of minced pork, wood ear mushrooms and shallots is uncovered and it canbe eaten with the covering-filling proportion best left to individualpreferences.
Inside the mouth, it seems to melt on the tongue, with the soft exterior andwell-cooked filling making the whole cake tender and aromatic.
Eating the good rice dough, one feels like it melts in their tip of the tongue.The filling which features both fat and lean minced pork and wood ear, is oftenover cooked, therefore, it is very tender, soft and aromatic.
Inside story: Once the teaspoon cuts into the cake, the filling of minced pork, wood ear mushrooms and shallots is uncovered and it can be eaten with the covering-filling proportion best left to individual preferences. (Source: VNA)Banh gio is sometimes served with cha, gio (Vietnamese sausage),grilled pork, chilli sauce and cucumber. In some places, banh gio isdipped in soya sauce before it is eaten.
While the cake is a popular dish in Hanoi, it is particularly favoured bystudents, for whom it is a tasty, affordable snack. As a result, many foodstalls near schools sell this delicacy. It is also sold in most markets, and onmany streets in Hanoi. As it is served as breakfast or supper, someeateries offering this dish only open in the morning or late afternoon.
Madam Luy’s banh gio seems to be a favourite among Hanoians. Themodest eatery on a corner of Tran Xuan Soan street near the Hom market isalways filled with customers. The texture of rice dough is soft and smooth likejelly and the gio cha served with the cake is also highlight of the treat.
“I usually buy two cakes every time I come here. It’s still hot when I openthem at home. The cake is always fresh and sells out very quickly. It has avery enticing smell and is not dry or too condense,” said 25-year-old Pham ThuCuc.
“Her eatery sells mostly gio and cha (Vietnamese sausage) and is famousfor this food yet banh gio is truly a highlight also,” said Cuc.
Serving variety: Banh gio can be served with a number of accompaniments like cha, gio (Vietnamese sausage), grilled pork, chilli sauce and cucumber. In some regions, banh gio is often dipped in soya sauce. (Source: foody.vn)The Dong Cac street is also famous for banh gio. The highlight of the cakeserved in this street lies in the accompanying dish – tasty fried sausage andgrilled pork. It costs about 30,000 VND for a big portion of banh gio servedwith Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork and cucumber.
Thuy Khue street is also well known for its big sized banh gio, nearlydouble compared to those served in other eateries. Nguyen Thi Nha, a banhgio shop owner on the street sells 500 to 600 cakes a day.
One avid customer, Hoang Phuong, 21, said: “Whenever the weather gets cold, Istart missing banh gio. It reminds of my days as a high school student,when my friends and I would gather in small eateries to enjoy this cake, almostevery late afternoon in winter.” - VNA
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