Taste of home: Banh beo from Nhan Mountain

Ms. Hoang Thi Phuc (55 years old), who has been selling banh beo (steamed rice cakes) for nearly 15 years at the foot of Nhan Mountain (Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen province), shared: "To make delicious banh beo, first, the rice must be of good quality and not have been exposed to rain; if the rice is exposed to rain, the cakes will definitely be hard, chewy, and not soft or elastic. Next is the process of mixing the flour; you have to get the right amount of water; if the batter is too thin, the cakes won't be soft, and if it's too thick, the cakes won't have a beautiful swirl. Then, you have to control the heat; the heat must be just right so the cakes will set and have a beautiful swirl."

A delicious bowl of bánh bèo (steamed rice cakes) is incomplete without chili fish sauce; the chili fish sauce accounts for 40% of the dish's flavor. Unlike chili fish sauces in many places that are often diluted with warm water, people in Phu Yen prefer a richer flavor, so the sauce is usually saltier and spicier. Ms. Phuc added: "Because we live near the sea, I often salt the fish myself to make fish sauce. The resulting sauce has a rich aroma, a beautiful color, and a more distinctive taste compared to using commercially produced fish sauce."

A plate of hot bánh bèo (rice flour cakes) costs 25,000 VND for 10 pieces at the foot of Nhan Mountain.

According to Ms. Nguyen Tran Vi Thuy (51 years old, a local resident), 15-20 years ago, Ms. Mai's banh beo (rice cakes) were famous for their simplicity: just hot banh beo, with a little scallion oil, some roasted peanuts, and a little delicious fish sauce. The appeal of Ms. Mai's banh beo lay in its chewy and firm texture. Ms. Mai used Tuy Hoa rice to make the cakes; after soaking the rice overnight, she ground it using a stone mortar, then blanched the flour in warm water before pouring the batter over a wood-fired stove.

"Perhaps because it's made entirely by hand, Ms. Mai's banh beo always has a unique flavor. Ms. Mai is now over 70 years old and no longer sells banh beo. Instead, her children have continued the business, opening a shop in Ho Chi Minh City called 'Ms. Mai's Banh Beo'," Ms. Thuy said.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/huong-vi-que-huong-banh-beo-nui-nhan-185230609051833523.htm