Despite having the same name as “pancakes”, the central pancakes and southern pancakes have a huge difference. Each region has a different way of processing, with a very unique characteristic that can not be mixed.
Pancakes are extremely familiar dishes of Vietnamese people. However, the South and Central have different ways of doing things with their own flavors of each region.
Origins of the name “Pancakes”
The name “Pancake” comes from the sound of the pancakes that sound happy when poured. Southern pancakes and northern pancakes at first glance seem almost identical, but in fact they are very different. It is most evident by the size of each cake.
Central pancakes and southern pancakes of different sizes
The most noticeable first difference is the size of the pancake. Southern pancakes are quite big, eat one that may be full, on the contrary, the central pancakes eat about 3 to 4 new ones full. This difference comes from the tool that makes the cake. While the central pancakes are poured small molds made of very hard cast iron just enough to pour a cake about 15cm – 19cm, the South uses large pans to pour the cake.
How to prepare the crust
The second difference between central pancakes and southern pancakes is the crust.
+ Pancakes in the Central: The dough of the cake is made from rice flour is the main one that gives a little turmeric powder to create a beautiful yellow color and a little coconut milk so that the cake has a fatty, fragrant
taste.
+ Southern pancakes: In the past, southerners often used delicious rice flour milled from stone mortar to make
cakes. Mix in a little turmeric powder, white wine and just enough coconut milk then add the spring onions and season the skin with a salty and mild sweet taste. However, nowadays there are more pre-mixed flours so they often use ready-made flour, sometimes add a little rice flour or crispy fried flour to increase the crispness and then mix with coconut milk. Because there are already spices in the ready-made dough.
Differences in the pies
Photo: @thichanhang_
The central pancakes have a strong sea flavor with the main ingredients for the fresh seafood such as shrimp, squid sometimes with more minced meat that makes those who eat it bring an irresistible feeling. Especially, the cake is only a little more bean sprouts to reduce boredom only.
In stark contrast to the cake portion of the Central, southerners often put a lot of ingredients in the cake, which is bacon, duck meat, mussels, shrimp, price, chives, papaya, coconut bulb, cassava, red radish, crazy cotton
… All are stir-fried together before being put in the crust.
How to pour pancakes
One thing that makes the deliciousness of the central pancakes is the crispness of the cake. The pourer usually uses quite a lot of oil to make the cake crispy, fatter and also because the cake size is small, the level of crispy cake is very fast, easy, the cake exterior and the edges of the cake are crispy evenly while the inside is still soft adhesive to each piece of shrimp meat.
Meanwhile, pour the pancakes in the South just spread a little oil on the pan or use pork fat to roll evenly throughout the pan, then pour the dough into the thin crust throughout the pan so that the edges of the cake are crispy, then add the
fill.
Vegetable dishes
Central pancakes appeal to eaters by the rich flavor when rollss with rice paper, green vegetables and sauces. In addition to sweet and sour fish sauce, the people of central Vietnam also especially eat cakes with seasoning sauce mixed with delicious peanuts and slightly fatty taste.
The vegetables served with pancakes of the South are quite rich, sometimes up to 20
kinds. Vegetables contribute to increase the aroma used by people such as mangoes, mausoleums, leaves … bring unforgettable feelings. The sauce comes mainly sweet and sour fish sauce, with the addition of minced garlic and carrot fiber to enhance the flavor.
Although there are many different points, but both types of cakes: pancakes in the South Central have different characteristics of each region and are received the love of diners after enjoying this
dish.By Tran Thi Cam Nhi(Wiki Travel))