Hanoi is getting colder, the old dormitory area in Trung Tu alley, Dong Da district, becomes bustling as many people come to warm their bellies with a bowl of hot banh cast.
Trung Tu area is one of the places selling hot Duc cakes in Hanoi. Located in the old dormitory area No. 103 B5, the banh duc shop of Ms. Tuyet Minh (photo), 63 years old, has been around for more than 20 years. Every afternoon or late afternoon, motorbikes of customers coming to the restaurant line the small alley.
The cake recipe Mrs. Minh learned from her mother-in-law, used to sell it at Pha Den port, near the foot of Vinh Tuy bridge. After taking over, she moved the restaurant to the C2 Trung Tu dormitory area. Last November, she changed her address to 103 B5, only about 200 meters from the original address.
Through many changes, from the days when a bowl of Banh Duc cost only a few thousand dong to now, her taste and cooking method have not changed.
Previously, Banh Duc was a dish of the poor, eaten plain or dipped in fish sauce. Later, Banh Duc was modified and combined with many other ingredients to bring new flavors.
According to Ms. Minh, the main ingredients of the cake include rice flour mixed with water and a little tapioca starch, cooked over medium heat until the mixture thickens and turns slightly clear. “The key point when cooking hot banh Duc is to stir continuously so that the powder dissolves completely, is smooth, flexible, and does not become lumpy when eaten,” she said.
Wherever a customer calls, Mrs. Minh scoops the cake there because hot Duc cake cools quickly in the winter. Mrs. Minh used an aluminum ladle to scoop out an amount of dough just enough for the bowl.
Cooked flour still retains the white color of rice, has a viscous consistency, and can be spun into fibers. Therefore, it takes ingenuity to put the cake neatly into the bowl without any flavor spilling out.
Hot dumplings are served with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, green onions and seasoned with some simple spices such as fish sauce, salt, pepper, then stir-fried until the meat is cooked and slightly firm.
Banh Duc is only cooked with rice flour so it is quite light. Therefore, the filling is marinated with stronger spices. The meat filling is stored in a separate tray, added on top of the cake layer that has just been scooped into a bowl.
Hot banh cast is a dish so the broth is very important. When the hot banh duc is cooled, it still forms a thick mass and becomes boring to eat quickly, so the broth must balance the sour and sweet flavors.
Ms. Minh said the broth is made from bones and sweet and sour fish sauce, with a light, mild taste. The broth should cover the surface of the cake, but make sure it is still hot so the cake doesn’t clump. After pouring the broth, add fried onions and coriander to increase the flavor and color of the dish.
Mrs. Minh’s Banh Duc restaurant has two prices: 20,000 VND and 25,000 VND per bowl.
The shop is open from 10am to 8pm. Visitors of all ages, from students to middle-aged people, are scattered throughout the hours but the peak concentration is from 12:00 – 13:00 and 16:00 – 18:00.
At first glance, the hot pot of Banh Duc looks quite similar to rib porridge or children’s powdered porridge because the powder is all pureed. Use a spoon to scoop down the smooth layer of banh duc submerged in the sour broth. Stir-fried minced meat with wood ear mushrooms is chewy, crispy, rich, with the scent of coriander and fried onions.
Diners who want spicy food can add pepper or chili powder. Banh Duc can be a simple, rustic afternoon gift, warming the belly in the middle of a cold winter day.
Hot cast cake is only sold by Mrs. Minh in the winter. Every day, she prepares two pots of Banh Duc weighing about 20 kg. “The colder it is, the better it sells,” she said.
Ms. Luong (68 years old), living in Trung Tu alley, said this is her familiar banh duc shop for nearly 10 years. Banh Duc is a dish associated with her poor and difficult childhood, so even though she has better conditions, she still has special affection for this dish.
“Nowadays, there are many more side dishes so the taste is different than before, but there’s nothing wrong with the fragrant, chewy taste of hot banh duc,” she said, adding that she often goes to banh duc restaurants for breakfast or Lunch, both filling and warm.
In addition, Ms. Minh also sells some sweet soup dishes such as green beans, black beans, and mixed sweet soup, priced from 10,000 VND to 20,000 VND.
($1~24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)