SOUTHERN VIETNAMESE PANCAKE
Adjacent to Saigon, Tien Giang takes pride in being the land of fruits and pastries as an old saying goes: “Which market is as fair as Go Cong market; Dried shrimp, fish, beef, pork; There are loads of steamed thin rice pancake, traditional fried pancake, sesame cake, corn cake, and bloating fern-shaped cake”- Pancakes are quite famous in the Southern region, known and loved by most visitors. Its name comes from the action of pouring the cake into the hot pan, a ‘sizzling” sound is created. This pastoral cake has melted many hearts thanks to its unique and wonderful combination of flavors. Although pancakes can be found everywhere from Japan, Korea and to Cambodia, Southern pancake have their own signature in terms of large sizes, and diverse materials found around. Cakes are cooked until the fringe curls up. They are then folded into halves and put on a plate. A special sauce is made to complete the dish. In Southern region, people eat these pancakes by hands. They roll them up and dip them into a bowl of tasty fish sauce. It is diluted fish sauce that has been mixed with chili, sugar, lemon and minced garlic. Diners can feel the crunchiness of the crust, the sweetness of shrimps and pork and the freshness of countless kinds of vegetables. As for the stuffing, there are various ingredients such as cashew, green beans, cassava, mushrooms for vegetarians or chicken, duck meat, beef, pork, seafood. However, the most special stuffing ingredient in Southern region is still farm shrimps. The element to success lies in the flour. The best rice from the previous season is chosen, soaked for 5-6 hours to soften, and grinded into fine flour. Flour mixing phase is simple; still, it requires a sharp taste from the cook. The flour is mixed with water, coconut milk, fresh turmeric, green onions, sugar and salt. Powder should be neither too thick nor too diluted. In order to save time and effort, you can buy ready-made pancake dough at the supermarket or market and follow the recipe. Living in the midst of noisy and crowded urban life, those who live far away from home will always remember their childhood memories in the countryside, the happy atmosphere during rainy season in the countryside, the cozy kitchen where the whole family gathering together to enjoy delicious cakes. Such feelings can never be found in the busy city.
Can Tho Vietnamese pancake stuffed with coconut fruit and Muscovy duck meat: It is the most special to eat pancake with coconut fruit and duck meat. Coconut fruit is the top part of a coconut tree, hiding deep in the trunk containing the tree bud and petiole. To get the coconut fruit, all the tough part must be removed; only the soft part is kept. It is then sliced into thin short fibers and seasoned with spices. Ideal ducks should old, fat, and easy to remove all feathers. Unlike chicken, male ducks gives better taste than female ones. Muscovy duck meat will be minced and stir fried with onion, garlic and pepper. Green beans are steamed. Rice flour and fresh turmeric (the smell will be better with turmeric powder) are mixed with cold water, coconut milk, chopped green onions, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the powder turns bright yellow and slightly thicker, which make the cake crispy when fried. Prepare a hot cast iron pan, pour in some oil, pour sliced onions in for aroma, stir the powder and pour a full scoop into the pan. Put the lid on and wait for the cake to cook. Remember to always have a medium and even fire. Next step is to spread green beans, coconut fruits and duck meat onto the crust. To enjoy the unique taste of this dish, one need to eat it with a variety of vegetables such as creek premna leaves, silk leaves, young mango leaves, and broccoli … In Can Tho There are a lot of shops selling coconut pancakes of both delicious taste and reasonable prices. Phu An Khang Tourist Area in Ben Tre also serves this dish as its specialty. The round pancakes have gold crispy crust and a bulging belly full of coconut fruit and duck meat.
Termite mushroom Vietnamese pancake in Ben Tre, Tien Giang: Termite mushroom is a symbiotic plant that grows naturally in the soil. It cannot be planted nor seeded. It is not easy to find either. Therefore, one kilogram of termite mushrooms can cost nearly a million VND. It is expensive not only because of its rareness but also because of its richness in nutrition such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, protein and other nutrients … The most delicious and nutritious termite mushrooms can be found around the 5th and 6thlunar months. Pour oil into a hot pan, add the onion to create the aroma, swiftly stir fry mushroom, finally pour the flour in and twist the pan around, spreading the flour all over the stuffing. Cooked green beans and bean sprouts are added. Put the lid on for the cake to cook faster. When the ring crust turns gold and slightly curled up, fold the cake into a half circle, and scoop it out onto a plate. It should be eaten when it is still hot to enjoy all different delicious flavors. The cake should be eaten by hands; fold it in green leafy vegetables, young mango leaves, turtle sprouts, lettuce, basil … and dip the roll in lemon garlic chili sauce. There would be a flavor explosion of the mushroom sweetness, turmeric and green onions fragrance, greasy taste of green beans and especially the crunchy, hot crust of the cake mixed with spicy fresh vegetable. Early in the rainy season, Southern families usually gather in the kitchen to eat this dish made from the termite mushrooms that mothers pick in the garden. The dish is so delicious that people cannot wait for it to be served and that they have to sit and wait in the kitchen to enjoy it as soon as it is cooked. Also, the mushrooms are rare, just enough for a family meal. As a result, if there are guests, there will not be enough of the dish to share. Today, the mushroom price has reached some millions per one kilogram. People seldom eat the mushrooms they find but rather sell them. In Saigon, the dish can only be found in restaurants.
Rice snail Vietnamese pancake at Lach market: The most famous rice snail is Phu Da rice snail from Co Chien River through Vinh Binh commune, Cho Lach district, Ben Tre. The snail meat is sweet, cooling oriented and contains a lot of nutrients such as protein, B2, A, iron, calcium … which is very good for pregnant women. A mature rice snail will have most fat and the best taste in lunar May. On the occasion of Doan Ngo Festival, everyone has the opportunity to enjoy rice snail cake. The rice flour is always mixed with coconut milk, non-sugar fresh milk, turmeric powder, chopped green onions, and chicken eggs are added to make the flour soft, delicious, and stick together. The mixture is then seasoned with salt, sugar, and sodium glutamate. Snails are soaked, washed, boiled, peeled, and fried with cassava roots. Prepare a hot pan and pour the flour inside while turning the pan around to create a rounds hape. Rice snails, cassava roots, and bean sprouts are spread on top and left there for a few minutes to cook well. To serve, a hot cake is rolled with broccoli, lettuce, turmeric, herbs … and served with sweet sour fish sauce. An unbelievable combination of flour and rice snail has created a unique dish, bringing about an exciting experience of Ben Tre’s culinary.
Collected by Linh Trang
