BÁNH TIÊU

The familiar sound of the women selling this on the street reminds me of my childhood. It is round and the size of an adult’s hand with sesame on both sides and empty inside. Why is it called bánh tiêu (bánh: cake, bread, tiêu: pepper)? I have asked many but none seems to know the answer. “Back in the day, it was tough to make them since you need to be patience to ferment the flour many times. Sometimes, you would even use bad flour to help the dough rise but the bread would not be as tasty as nowadays and has a foul smell.”, said elderly women. Nowadays, you would only need to buy processed flour and yeast. Mix yeast with warm water, when the yeast is activated and floating (if the yeast doesn’t float, dump it). The mix wheat flour, sugar, water, and yeast mixture together. Using clean hands to knead it until smooth, until the dough doesn’t stick to your hands anymore. Cover and leave for an hour until it rises. Once the dough rises, it would be softer and smoother, then roll it long and thin strips, divide into smaller sections, roll until round and press onto a plate of sesame seeds. Roll it thin until the shape is round and fry in hot oil. If the oil is boiling too much, lower the heat because there is sugar in the mix so it would burn. Flip until both sides are golden and drain the excess oil. A good one should be round and fluffy but the texture should be a little chewy, soft, and airy. A foodie always know to be adventurous and combine different foods. A bánh bò stuffed inside a bánh tiêu makes the perfect marriage that everyone can enjoy.

Collected by Linh Trang