Pig skin cake, a rustic specialty dish in Hoi An

Pig skin cake - a rustic dish in Hoi An

Just hearing the name, you can see the rustic and affectionate features of this cake. If you have the opportunity to come to Hoi An, take a walk in the early morning on Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Bach Dang streets or sit in coffee shops along the road, you will occasionally see the image of middle-aged women holding a handbag in one hand and a tray or bamboo basket in the other, in which there are many types of cakes that are popular with locals such as ram cake, mango cake and even pig skin cake. Just a few small, colorful cakes to sip with a cup of coffee is enough to create a joyful morning, just enough to fill the stomach that has just been awakened after a long night.

It is called pig skin cake because each layer of cake is stacked on top of each other, almost like pig skin. But the special thing is that this "pig skin" sparkles with alternating colors that attract the viewer, including: the cool green of leaves, the shimmering orange like the dawn sun or the clear white. From completely natural ingredients such as pandan leaves, beets, gac fruit, purple sweet potatoes... This type of cake looks simple, but the processing requires meticulousness and skill with completely manual operations.

Tapioca flour, glutinous rice flour, mung beans, coconut water and sugar combine to create a chewy, sweet taste. These are completely traditional and popular ingredients in folk life in the past and present. Among the ingredients for making cakes, I have heard older women say that: having the right amount of coconut water and mung beans, as well as the kneading and steaming stages are the most important steps to creating a delicious banh da lon.

If you want to enjoy Banh Da Lon in Hoi An, you can go to some places such as: Ms. Hoa at the market slope intersection; near the 200-year-old Hoi An ancient well; Ms. Xuan in front of the fabric market; along the central streets of the old town early in the morning; or go to Bo Bo green bean cake establishment on Le Loi street to order.

Ms. Anna Seyss, a tourist from Germany, enjoys the rustic dish of pork skin cake.

Ms. Anna Seyss, a tourist from Germany, shared when she ate this cake for the first time: “The cake has a light, fragrant smell and the color looks really eye-catching. This time I came to Vietnam for a month, I visited many provinces and cities and now stopped in Hoi An. Hoi An cuisine really attracted me with many attractive street foods, this cake is one of them. I will come back to Hoi An next year to enjoy more of the special dishes here that I did not have the opportunity to enjoy this time.”

Nowadays, Hoi An people have transformed the cake into many different shapes and colors to attract buyers and tourists. In addition to the traditional flavors such as white, green and orange, there are now more flavors such as bean flower, beetroot... When enjoying, Hoi An people often peel off each layer of cake, chew slowly to fully feel the chewy, slightly sweet taste and the seductive aroma of coconut water mixed with the flavors of vegetables, flowers and leaves.

When you return to Hoi An, one morning you leisurely sit with a cup of coffee watching the street, enjoying a banh da lon - a rustic feature that remains, reflecting the culture of "village in the city, city in the village" of Hoi An people, and then reluctantly return one day!

HUYNH KIM HOA

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