The cakes have a smooth white shell, fatty meat, dotted with rich and flavorful bone broth, creating a “famous” gift in Hai Phong.
Not only famous for many scenic spots and attractive tourist destinations, Hai Phong is also a land with a rich culinary background that attracts customers from near and far.
In addition to the famous specialties such as crab cakes, crab spring rolls, … in Hai Phong there are many “famous” dishes that easily conquer everyone’s taste at affordable prices. One of them is the banh beo – a snack containing the culinary essence of the red phoenix flower city.
Different from Hue water fern cake in small cups, Hai Phong water fern cake is neatly wrapped by layers of green banana leaves.
At first glance, Hai Phong duck cake has ingredients quite similar to Hanoi’s but it is easily distinguishable by appearance and enjoyment.
Hai Phong water fern is the perfect combination of the shell made from rice flour and the filling of wood ear, minced pork. All ingredients are encapsulated in banana leaves, shaped like a cambered boat like a small boat.
The way of making banh beo is quite simple, but to make the most delicious and quality batches also requires a lot of meticulousness. Banana leaves must choose leaves that are not too old to maintain a beautiful green color. After being washed, the banana leaves are poured through boiling water and then arranged into a mold in the shape of a leaf boat.
The most difficult and requires a lot of experience is the mixing of rice flour. The dough must be mixed with water in the right ratio to avoid clumping. Besides, meat for filling must be chosen from the pork thighs so as not to dry out.
The meat is cleanly prepared, pureed and stir-fried with chopped wood ear and a little salt, pepper, and monosodium glutamate to taste. After preparing the finished ingredients, people skillfully pour the flour slowly into the leaf mold and multiply the mixture on top. Steamed for about 30 minutes and cooked.
When the cake is cooked, the filling will float out on the clear white shell and look very nice. Each cake is presented to a plate, cut into 6-8 pieces to taste and sprinkle with a little dried onion.
The cakes have a smooth rind, a soft bite that melts in the mouth, blending with the fatty taste of the flesh and the aroma of banana leaves.
But most importantly, the delicious, rich sauce that is stewed from bones with many attractive spices is the factor that creates the “soul” of the dish, making it complete, with its own appeal. captivating diners.
The cake is quite thin, so it is often sold in pairs. Each serving is priced from 15,000 to 20,000 VND. Diners can enjoy duck cake with sauces, meatballs.
The sauce is still hot, bold, a bit greasy, sweet and sour with a little bit of jagged leaves (the smell of coriander) sprinkled on top to create a unique flavor that only Hai Phong has.
Diners dab a piece of hot water fern, bring the bowl to lightly sip the sweet dipping sauce and slowly feel the quintessence of the dish slowly dissolving in the mouth.
Coming to Port city, visitors can easily find and enjoy Banh Beo in markets, street food stalls or simply carry street vendors. Just a couple of chairs with a few chairs is enough to create a unique culinary corner that has captivated generations of Hai Phong people. Follow Dân trí