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Banh chung

Bánh chưng is a traditional Vietnamese rice cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork and other ingredients. Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Liêu, a prince of the last king of the Sixth Hùng Dynasty, who became the successor thanks to his creation of bánh chưng and bánh giầy, which symbolized, respectively, the Earth and the Sky (bánh chưng is the Earth and bánh giầy is the Sky). Considered an essential element of the family altar on the occasion of tết, the making and eating of bánh chưng during this time is a well-preserved tradition of Vietnamese people. Beside the tết holiday, bánh chưng is also eaten all year round as Vietnamese cuisine.

Bánh xèo

Vietnamese pancake (bánh xèo)

Pancake is not really good translation for Bánh xèo!

I think - the word "xèo" comes from the sound when we prepare this special dish! Just my guess!

Bánh xèo is one of many Vietnamese traditional delicacies that tourists esp. from Japan, Korea, Taiwan want to try during their stay in Vietnam.

Probably originated from Mekong Delta, I heard many good bánh xèo from this area!

But at the same time we have many variations in each area.

In north some other ingredients has been added or in central, bánh xèo is smaller, especially in Huế - bánh xèo has another name, much smaller and served with different dipping sauce!

HOW TO MAKE ?
RICE FLOUR MIXTURE
STUFFING
DIPPING SAUCE
SALAD + HERDS
HOW TO COOK
HOW TO EAT

There are two different ways to made the rice flour mixture.

+ Traditional Way
Rice is soaked in water about 10 hours before adding to grinder to grind it.
To make the pancake more crispy(all the local people love it), we should add some old steamed rice then grind together with the soaked rice to get special mixture.

+ Modern Way
The rice flour is always available at the market or any Vietnamese stationary.
The mixture process is written on the bag.
To make the cake more flavor, good looking, we can add a bit of turmeric power and coconut milk/cream.
There is a large of selection of stuffing. It depends upon on your favorite of shrimp, cuttlefish, pork, mushroom, spring onion and bean-sprouts.

The dipping sauce for Vietnamese pancake is normally very light.
That is the mixture of garlic, chili, sugar in a mortar and pestle, then adding fish sauce, boil water in a jar with finely chopped pineapple and add the mixture then bring to simmer.
There are different types of herds to combine with the cake for eating; mint, bitter mint, lettuce…..

You can use a frying pan for making the cake.
Put a little bit of cooking oil in the pan, then add slice pork, shrimp, mushroom..to fry. Then add the flour mixture. Don’t miss the sound XEO, and bean-sprouts. Cover with the lip about 2 menutes, fold it in half then get it out in a plate.

There are also different ways to eat the pancake.
- Get the cake in a bowl with salad + herds, then pour the sauce over and eat.
- Use a rice paper to make a rice paper rolls with that
- Use a mustard leaf to wrap it into rolls the dip in the sauce then eat it.