Ha Tinh steamed rice cake

A portion of cake costs from 20,000 - 25,000 VND, and is a popular breakfast food for locals.

Coming to Ha Tinh , tourists can easily find small eateries with the sign "Ram - Banh muot". "Ram" is the word used to refer to a dish similar to fried spring rolls, "banh muot" is another way of saying "banh cuon" or "banh uot".

Two servings of banh muot ram and gio cost 45,000 VND, usually sold from around 6:30-9:00. Photo: Bao Ngan

Each spring roll is rolled tightly, about two fingers wide. The tighter the spring roll is rolled, the tastier it is, and the filling will not fall out when eaten. The filling includes minced pork, onions, vermicelli, coriander, and spices. The pungent, slightly bitter smell of coriander creates the unique flavor of Ha Tinh spring rolls.

The way of rolling is similar to fried spring rolls, but the difference is that the crust of Ha Tinh spring rolls is thicker and golden brown, made from rice and molasses. After rolling, the spring rolls are fried in a pan of boiling oil for about 3 - 4 minutes. The wet cake is made from sticky rice flour. The sticky rice is ground into flour, water is added and then left to ferment overnight. When rolling the cake, the seller must skillfully take just enough flour to have a thin but chewy, fragrant and smooth finished product.

Diners use their hands to wrap the ingredients while eating. The dish is appealing thanks to the contrasting combination of the soft, thin, fragrant rice cake layer and the crispy, hot, fatty spring roll inside. If you want to change the taste, you can choose to roll it with pork roll or sliced ​​pork roll (a combination of ground pork and fatty meat). In addition, diners often sprinkle some fried onions to enhance the flavor.

This is a popular breakfast dish and is loved by many locals. "No matter how many delicious and unique dishes there are now, I still cannot forget the taste of a plate of banh muot ram from my hometown. If you come home from school or work far away without eating a plate, you are not a native of Ha Tinh," said Phuong Bao, a diner.

Ram should be eaten immediately after being fried to keep its crispiness and deliciousness. Avoid letting it cool because the skin can easily become hard. Photo: Bao Ngan

According to many vendors, the dipping sauce is the deciding factor in whether this dish is good or bad. People often use handmade, golden-colored fish sauce, mixed with boiling water, sugar, and MSG. Diners can add their own dipping sauce with minced garlic, lemon, or chili depending on their preferences.

Bao Ngan

Source