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Orange cake - The sweet taste of childhood
Orange-flavored fried cakes are a familiar traditional Vietnamese treat that evokes childhood memories. Having been around for a long time, these small, charming cakes have always been a favorite snack for both children and adults.
As the name suggests, orange-shaped cake is round like an orange. It's made from glutinous rice flour, filled with sweet mung bean paste, and coated with a thin layer of sugar. When you eat it, you'll experience the crispy texture of the crust, combined with the rich flavor of the mung bean paste and a hint of sweetness from the sugar.
To make a delicious orange cake, the baker needs both skill and experience. The dough must be kneaded thoroughly to achieve the desired elasticity, the mung bean filling must be cooked until soft and mashed, and the sugar must be dissolved just right to create a delicate sweetness. The cakes are fried until golden brown in hot oil, then removed, drained, and coated with a thin layer of sugar.
Orange cake is a familiar traditional fried pastry that evokes childhood memories for many Vietnamese people.
Orange-flavored cakes and ring-shaped cakes are often sold together on mobile carts that roam the streets. Each cake costs only a few thousand dong, making them affordable for everyone.
Despite the ups and downs of time, orange cake has retained its traditional flavor, a treat associated with the childhood of countless generations of Vietnamese people. Every time we enjoy these lovely little cakes, we are transported back to beautiful memories of our carefree and joyful childhood days.
Fried bananas - An irresistible, crispy snack.
Fried bananas are a familiar street food snack, appealing not only to children but also to adults because of their sweet, crispy taste and affordable price. Made from ripe, fragrant Siamese bananas, this dish offers diners a truly delightful culinary experience.
Before frying, the bananas are sliced thinly lengthwise and lightly flattened. Then, they are coated in a batter made from rice flour, wheat flour, coconut milk or coconut cream, sugar, and optional ingredients such as cinnamon, shredded coconut, flavoring, or honey. This batter helps the bananas retain their crispness after frying and enhances their flavor.
Fried bananas are a familiar street food snack, appealing not only to children but also to adults because of their sweet, crispy taste and affordable price.
Fried bananas are best enjoyed hot. With each bite, you'll experience the crispy outer layer, combined with the sweet, tangy flavor of ripe bananas and the subtle aroma of spices. This dish is often served with roasted sesame seeds and drizzled with fresh coconut milk for added flavor.
Chestnut cake - A gift from the mountains of Northwest Vietnam
Chestnut cake is a must-try snack when traveling to Sapa. With its distinctive flavor of the Northwest mountainous region, chestnut cake has become a sweet treat that has captivated tourists in recent years.
The origin of chestnut cake dates back to the mountainous region of Sapa – a place blessed by nature with vast forests of fragrant, rich, and delicious chestnuts. The people of Sapa have skillfully processed these chestnuts into a delicious cake with the distinctive flavor of the Northwest mountains.
Chestnut cakes are made from simple ingredients: a sweet pastry shell, a filling of finely ground chestnuts, and sugar. The chestnut filling is seasoned to taste, then placed inside the pastry shell and fried until golden brown in oil. When cooked, the crust has a beautiful golden-brown color, peels slightly, and emits an enticing aroma.
Chestnut cake is a must-try snack when traveling to Sapa.
Chestnut cake has a subtly sweet and nutty flavor from the chestnut filling, combined with the crispy texture of the crust. This cake is usually enjoyed hot with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Nowadays, chestnut cakes are not only sold at street food stalls in Sapa but also at specialty shops and tourist markets. Tourists can easily buy chestnut cakes as gifts for family and friends.
Preserved fruits - The essence of Hanoi cuisine.
Candied fruit (O Mai) is a traditional snack that is indispensable in the lives of Vietnamese people, especially those in Hanoi. Hanoi is considered the "land" that produces the most delicious candied fruit, embodying the essence of Vietnamese cuisine.
The term "ô mai" refers to fruits processed by simmering them with sugar or salt, creating a distinctive sweet and sour flavor. Common ingredients for making ô mai include apricots, star fruits, peaches, plums, tamarind, pineapples, mangoes, carambola, and kumquats.
To make delicious candied fruit, the artisan selects fresh, uniformly sized, and undamaged fruits. The fruit is then washed and pierced with small holes to allow for easy absorption of sugar and spices. The sugar mixture for simmering the candied fruit typically includes sugar, salt, water, ginger, chili peppers, and a little lemon juice. Depending on the type of fruit and personal preference, the artisan can adjust the proportions of the ingredients accordingly. The fruit is cooked in this mixture until it absorbs the spices and shrinks. Next, the candied fruit is fermented to create a tangy flavor and distinctive taste. Finally, the candied fruit is dried for preservation and to create a chewy texture when eaten.
Candied fruit is a traditional snack that is indispensable in the lives of Vietnamese people, especially those in Hanoi.
Hanoi's candied fruits are commonly sold along Hang Duong Street, considered a "paradise" for all kinds of candied fruits. Visitors can freely choose their favorite candied fruits with a wide variety of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors.
More than just a delicious snack, candied fruit (ô mai) also makes a meaningful gift for family and friends. Each box of candied fruit carries the essence of Vietnamese cuisine, conveying wishes of good luck and health to the recipient.
