Cuisines
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The dish that helps remember the land reclamation days.
(26/06/2015)
Recently in Phong Dien District (Can Tho) has appeared "Bánh canh gõ gáo dừa” (literally "soup cake"_ a rich, thick Vietnamese noodle soup), which greatly excites those who are interested in Vietnamese folk cuisine.
![]() A bowl of traditional Banh canh - Photo: Hoài Vũ Banh canh is a popular dish which has long been present in the southern region. So far, the list of Southern folk cakes has mentioned dozens of salty and sweet Banh canh, but not of "Banh canh go", a folk cake, which was once famous, but nearly forgotten nowadays. It is called Banh canh go because of its production process. The artist must put smooth rice dough into a perforated coconut shell and then use the stick to knock repeatedly on the shell, creating a thrust so that the dough might drop slowly into the boiling water pot below. The female seller says that the Banh canh maker has to be very sophisticated and meticulously in each step if (s)he wishes to make a pot of perfect Banh canh. First, it is necessary to soak rice appropriately before grinding it. Then, wrap it in a mosquito net cloth for draining. After that, mix it with a little wheat flour (you can also buy the flour at any market, but it does not taste as good as homemade one). Soak both kinds of flour in boiling water for 15 minutes. Knead it well. The dough is ready when it does not stick on your hands any more. A pot of water is put on the stove for boiling. Next, put the dough into the coconut shell; knock it steadily for the dough to drop slowly into the pot. The length of Banh canh depends on the height of the coconut shell over the pot. Kneading rice flour - Photo: Hoài Vũ Putting the dough into the coconut shell- Photo: Hoài Vũ Knocking on the shell steadily for the dough to drop into the pot of boiling water - Photo: Hoài Vũ At the same time, the Banh canh maker must pay attention to the soup. The good taste of Banh canh depends on the soup whose broth may be made from pork bone, pork, shrimp or squid and other seasoning. Banh canh is put into a bowl, added some pieces of pork or shrimp and lettuce, chopped cilantro, sliced onion, scallions, pepper, chilli. Finally, the boiling broth is poured over the mixture in the bowl. The seller from Phong Dien says that she has inherited this Banh canh go from her grandmother called Ba giao Dau in Binh Thuy District. Although this dish requires much effort and dedication, consumes a lot of time, she thinks it is worth doing so because she loves to conserve and promote Vietnamese traditional cakes. Also, this will help introduce the cultural beauty of the Southern folk cake. One variation from Banh canh go is the one that is cooked with shrimp, coconut juice. Another variation is the sweet Banh canh for vegetarians. Ready Banh canh - Photo: Hoài Vũ A Bowl of Banh canh go (cooked with coconut juice) - Photo: Hoài Vũ Special features you can easily find in Banh canh are that it is white, clear and strong; and it has sweet fatty taste. In particular, customers can feel the heart and soul of Banh canh maker that are put in making this rustic, simple but unique dish. Customers can enjoy a blow of steaming Banh canh. Its heat may make you sweat, yet you feel refreshed and wish to eat some more.
Source: tuoitre.vn - Translated by Ngoc Diep |
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Cuisines
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Can Tho City’s Nice Dish: Ba Khía Rang Me (Freshwater Crabs Cooked with Tamarind Sauce)
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Hotpot of Linh (Cirrhinus jullieni) Fish and Điên Điển (Sesbania Sesban) Flowers
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Phong Dien Fine Rice Vermicelli
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Well-known Com Ruou (Fermented Glutinous Rice Balls) in Thot Not
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The Mekong Delta’s Taste in Hủ tiếu hấp - Steamed Rice Noodle
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Pancakes of Cái Sơn – Hàng Bàng
The name of Cái Sơn – Hàng Bàng, according to many people, this area has Cai Son small irrigation canal next to large malabar almond trees so this area has that name. Now, the small irrigation canal was quite large but large malabar almond trees is no longer appeared, however delicious pancakes and miniature fried phancakes remain as before.
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Grilled snails with pepper
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Bun ca Can Tho – authentic flavor of the wetlands
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"Nem nuong" Cai Rang (Cai Rang grilled meat roll)
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Thanh Van grilled meat roll
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Can Tho grapefruit compote
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Can Tho banh cong (one kind of cake)
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Banh xeo (rice pancake folded in half)
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"Banh tet la cam" (one kind of cylindric glutinous rice cake)
"Banh tet la cam" has distinct taste. It is made from fragrant sticky rice soaked with la cam to get purple colour. Fry sticky rice with coconut quintessence during 4 - 5 hours. When sticky rice is well done, it have velvety purple, covering stuffing of meat, egg, grease, green bean, etc. Covering the cake demand skilful hands to make it done to a turn completely. The cake is cut and laid out on plate, it looks attractive with different colours such as green, red, purple, yellow, and b...
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Sour soup of "ca linh" (a species of local fish) and "bong so dua" (local flower)
Select a big fish, then cut in two under gills and detain entrails. The fish is very fat in the flood season. The season of ca linh is the time for "bong so dua" booming - an important flavouring of the dish. It can use tamarind or lemon or ferment for the soup. Vegetable flavouring comprises eryngium, coriander, and some other spices like chilly, garlic, sugar, pure fish sauce to form tasty dish. When the water in pot is boiled, put fish into, cover the pot until the soup is boiled ag...
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Gruel of mullet "rau dang" (a species of a bitter vegetable)
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Culinary Art in Can Tho
The good natural conditions in the delta of many waterways have created abundant specialities. Furthermore, this land is home of some ethnic groups like Kinh, Hoa, and Khmer, so that Can Tho people have a lot of dishes and diverse culinary ways. Upon coming here, we will have chance to enjoy specialities full of characteristic tastes. Lau mam Can Tho’s Lau mam full of countryside flavours of South VietnamMain ingredient of the dish is salted fish (made of ca linh (a species of small fish)...
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Broiled mullet
Gastronomes can select mullet at medium size to broil hence it is well done. The fish is covered with clay, then broiled by straw or dried wood until the clay cover is dried and split. Take off the cover with fish scales, you can see white flesh of fish. The mullet can be enjoyed with some raw vegetables and fish sauce, chilly, garlic, shrimp paste, or peppers and salt or ginger salt to make it more tasty. The dish is rather savoury with different tastes such as sweet of fish's flesh, bitter...
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