VI
EN
CORN CAKE – SWEET POTATO CAKE – BANANA CAKE
These cakes must be deep-fried and eaten immediately after being taken out of the pan, drained of excess oil, and still piping hot. The crispy cake complements the refreshing taste of corn, the earthy flavor of sweet potato, and the unique sweetness of banana. When fried, the banana releases a sweet, soft, and fragrant flavor unlike the fresh bananas we eat every day.
Corn-sweet potato-banana cakes are everywhere: on a street corner, in front of a school gate, and almost every market in Hanoi has one or two stalls selling them. The stalls aren't elaborate; the vendors' equipment consists of just two deep cast-iron pans, a basket of corn, sweet potatoes, and cassava, and a bowl of batter – enough to satisfy the customers gathered around.
HOT RICE CAKE
Hot rice cake (Bánh đúc nóng) is a quintessential dish for Hanoi's cold season, a subtly harmonious blend of ingredients and flavors. Vendors keep the cake hot, soft, and sticky in a cast-iron pot. When ordered, the cake is scooped into a bowl, topped with a little stir-fried minced meat with shiitake and wood ear mushrooms, some coriander, and fragrant fried onions, finally topped with a mild dipping sauce. If you can handle spice, sprinkle with pepper and fresh chili to fully appreciate the sweet, spicy, salty, and aromatic flavors of this dish.
FRIED RICE CAKE
Fried sticky rice cakes (Bánh chưng rán) are sold year-round, but the hot summer weather is considered unsuitable for this dish. Diners often hesitate to try them because of their greasiness; even when cooled, the cakes become oily and easily become cloying. However, every winter, fried sticky rice cakes become more appealing than ever.
After being lightly fried, the sticky rice cake (bánh chưng) is placed on a tray to keep it warm. When served to diners, it's a steaming hot plate of rice cake with side dishes to suit individual tastes, such as sliced Chinese sausage, rice patties, hot dogs, grilled skewers, etc. Pickled vegetables and mildly sour shallots are essential to balance the dish. Take a small bite and simultaneously experience the crispy fried crust while the inside remains soft and chewy, the steaming hot cake stimulating the taste buds. Another bite reveals the fragrant filling of mung beans, pork fat, and black pepper.
GRILLED STICKY RICE BANANAS
Grilled sticky rice banana cake is a familiar dish to people in the southern provinces. This year, it has arrived in Hanoi just in time for the winter season. Hanoi diners are excited about this new dish that is so perfectly suited to Hanoi's winter.
Each peeled banana is wrapped in sticky rice, grilled over charcoal until slightly charred, then cut into bite-sized pieces, drizzled with homemade coconut milk, crushed peanuts, and shredded coconut, and ready to be enjoyed.
Chinese Glutinous Rice Dumplings
A bowl of glutinous rice balls (bánh trôi tàu) usually contains two balls: a round one with mung bean filling and an oval one with black sesame filling, both topped with a fragrant brown sugar syrup flavored with ginger, and garnished with coconut milk and roasted peanuts.
Some say the essence of a bowl of glutinous rice dumplings lies in the ginger-infused syrup, the subtle spiciness that lingers on the tongue until the very last bite. In the biting cold, holding a bowl of hot dumplings in your hands and feeling winter slowly pass by is truly delightful. The best part of enjoying this dish is sitting by the warm stove on a chilly day, looking out at the street, savoring each spoonful of the soft, chewy dumplings with their mung bean, sesame, coconut, and distinctive ginger flavors, and feeling winter slowly drift by.
Compiled by Ngoc Anh
