SHALLOT LEAVE CAKE
Originated from the Chinese who later brought it to Korea, Japan and Vietnam centuries ago, the dish said to be from Chaozhou province. The cake is made from rice flour, dumpling flour, lard, thinly chopped shallot leaves mixed minced meat, dried shrimp, seasoning with salt and pepper. They can be steamed (layered on banana leaves) or fried (with chicken eggs). The dish can be served with chili sauce, or fish sauce. Being as one of the main dishes in Chinese dim sum, it has become a popular dish in Saigon with more than 300 selling points.
Soc Trang shallot cake: Originated from the Chinese in Soc Trang, they are called shallot cake because the stuffing inside is chopped shallot leaves with dried shrimps. The crust is like bread crust but more translucent, chewier and thicker. Cakes are steamed, and served with sweet and sour fish sauce. The fragrance of the shallot leaves, the rich taste of the dried shrimp, and the greasy chewy feature of the dough all blend together. Once you have enjoyed it, the flavor will linger on.
Ms. Cuc’s shallot cake and hub cake in Can Tho: Ms. Cuc whose ancestors are Teochew people, is from Soc Trang province; she came to Can Tho a long time ago, and tried to earn a living by her ancestors’ traditional business. Every night at about 11 o’clock she wakes up to make flour, prepare and stir the stuffing, and steam about 200 white radish cakes, chive cakes, and dumplings … By 5:30 am when everything is done, she rides her bike to the corner of Phan Dinh Phung street to sell her cakes. And she has been doing this for twenty some years. Her buns are no different from Soc Trang’s cakes, except that they are not served with fish sauce. When asked, she says that it is not convenient to wash plates doing business on the street, so she always fully seasons the cakes. As to compensate for that, the sautéed chili is very saturated and delicious. The cake can be dipped into it and ready to serve. Each cake costs 5,000 VND and around 9 or 10 am they are usually sold out.
Collected by Linh Trang
