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On a peaceful street corner in Tan Chau, An Giang province, the humble grilled banana stall of an elderly woman has existed for over 20 years, becoming an indelible part of the memories of countless generations. For Bui Nhut Thanh, a freelance photographer currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, this familiar grilled banana cart is not just a snack, but also a memory from his childhood.
This humble grilled banana stall has been around for over 20 years, and is associated with countless childhood memories.
"In Ho Chi Minh City, they also have grilled sticky rice banana cakes, the ingredients are the same: bananas and sticky rice, but the taste is still not the same as in my hometown," Thanh shared. In Tan Chau, the grilled banana dish has its own unique character - rustic, pure, and rich in the flavor of the Mekong Delta. The bananas she sells are usually harvested from her own garden, without preservatives or chemical fertilizers, resulting in a naturally sweet and delicate taste.
The type of banana used is the wax banana, not the ripe banana or the plantain banana.
After peeling, the bananas are neatly arranged on a bamboo or reed woven tray and then taken out to the yard to dry in the sun for about an hour to dry and firm up the thin white outer skin.
Early in the morning, the street corner suddenly became warmer thanks to the glowing charcoal stove of the old woman. The scene was simple: a round iron grate placed on an old aluminum basin, inside which was a layer of small, nearly burnt-out charcoal. No blazing fire was needed; just a little warmth spreading evenly across the grate was enough to turn each banana, already sun-dried and slightly wilted, golden and fragrant. Her hands moved nimbly, turning each banana, paying attention to every detail to ensure the peel didn't crack and the bananas remained evenly crisp.
On mornings like these, the neighborhood children, accustomed to the aroma of grilled bananas, couldn't resist rushing out, surrounding the stove, rubbing their hands together and inhaling the sweet, fragrant smoke. Sometimes, Thanh would join the crowd, biting into a hot, crispy piece of grilled sticky rice banana, savoring the sweet, nutty flavor of the banana combined with the soft, chewy sticky rice and rich coconut milk.
When the banana leaves are charred yellow and the crust turns golden, the aroma of baked banana cake fills the air.
Her hands moved swiftly, turning each banana over so that the skin turned golden brown.
The grilled wax banana dish here may seem simple at first glance, but it requires meticulous attention to detail at every step. To create this distinctive flavor, she selects bunches of bananas that are just ripe but still slightly green to maintain their chewiness during grilling. Wax bananas are favored for their superior aroma and firmness, and after peeling, she sun-dries them to tighten the skin, preventing them from sticking to the grill.
Nhut Thanh shared that she is always meticulous in every step, from selecting the bananas and sun-drying them to expertly grilling them to create a crispy golden crust while retaining the natural sweetness of the banana inside. In that moment, the glowing charcoal stove amidst the tranquil countryside setting stands as an enduring reminder of many people's childhoods.
The bananas must be grilled over hot coals and left whole to be truly authentic.
Grilled sticky rice banana cake is a harmonious combination of soft ripe bananas, fragrant sticky rice, and the rich creaminess of coconut milk. When the cake is cooked, the slightly charred banana leaves give off a wonderful aroma that makes you crave it at first sight. Especially, the grilled sticky rice banana cake from the Mekong Delta cannot be without the thick coconut milk and crunchy peanuts – key elements that help this dish conquer the taste buds of every diner.
Grilled sticky rice bananas are judged to be delicious if they meet the following criteria: the outer layer of sticky rice is crispy brown, the inner layer is soft white, and the banana itself is a perfectly ripe yellow color to ensure it's not mushy.
Every time he returns to his hometown, Thanh never misses the morning at his grandmother's grilled banana stall. Those mornings are not just about enjoying the food; they're also moments of rediscovering memories, as the aroma of grilled bananas wafts through the air, reminding him of his childhood. His grandmother's banana stall has become a part of Tan Chau, a place that preserves the flavors of his homeland and simple memories.
Grilled bananas from the Mekong Delta have spread far beyond Vietnam's borders, once being selected by CNN as one of the "World's Best Desserts," contributing to the recognition of Vietnamese flavors on the international culinary map. And in that little corner, she still diligently works by the charcoal stove, patiently turning each banana, waiting until the fire dies down and the children are full before packing up her stall and going home.
