Vietnamese specialty cake on Korean TV: Tourist comments "Now I understand why it is so popular!"

The customer commented that this cake would definitely be popular if sold in Korea!

Vietnamese cuisine with its diversity and richness is always one of the leading factors that makes foreign guests, coming from every country or continent, fascinated. Especially the regional specialties with unique ingredients and preparation methods.

The following dish is one such example, enjoyed by veteran Korean chef Lee Gyeonggyu during his trip to Vietnam, filming for a program broadcast on KBS. This is banh xeo. After enjoying it, the chef exclaimed: "Now I understand why it is so popular. Koreans must love it!"

As soon as the staff brought out the pancake, next to the golden-brown crust, what impressed the Korean chef was the bowl of fish sauce. "This sauce is like the eel sauce in Korea," said the tourist.

He carefully rolled the pancake with vegetables and other side dishes, dipped it in fish sauce and took a big bite. Finally, the Korean tourist's smile and thumbs up said it all. He commented that the dish was really delicious. When he couldn't finish it, the chef asked the waiter to pack it up to take home so he could continue eating.

Banh Xeo - A popular and attractive specialty dish in all regions

In the Vietnamese culinary map, banh xeo is always mentioned as a rustic but attractive dish, closely associated with the lives of people across the three regions. With the pleasant "sizzling" sound when the batter is poured into the hot pan, this dish is not only attractive because of its crispy and fragrant flavor but also because of its rich cultural story, origin and variations according to each region.

According to many documents, banh xeo may have originated from the South Central and Southern regions. In the Central region, the cake is small, with a thick crust and simple fillings of fresh seafood such as shrimp and squid. Meanwhile, the Southwestern version is larger, with a thin, crispy crust, golden brown thanks to turmeric, and rich coconut milk. The fillings are a variety of combinations from shrimp, pork belly, green beans to coconut tubers and straw mushrooms. It is this variation that has helped banh xeo become a specialty dish representing the creativity of Vietnamese cuisine.

Illustration photo

Some researchers believe that the Western pancake originated from the Khmer people, while in the Central region, Hue pancake is considered a close “relative” of the pancake. Although there is no absolute consensus on its origin, it is easy to see that the pancake has integrated and become deeply attached to the culinary life of the Vietnamese people, from the countryside markets to famous urban eateries.

The main ingredients to make banh xeo include rice flour, turmeric powder, coconut milk, chicken eggs, shrimp, pork belly, bean sprouts, and green onions. In the Central region, people often mix the flour with beer to make the crust crispier. When preparing, the shrimp and meat filling is stir-fried first, then the flour is poured into a pan of boiling oil, swirled evenly to thin the dough, quickly sprinkled with bean sprouts and green onions, and folded in half.

To have a beautiful cake, the chef must skillfully control the heat and temperature of the pan - the decisive factor in the crispiness and eye-catching golden color. Banh xeo scores points for the balance of flavors thanks to the meticulous preparation.

Illustration photo

The crust is crispy, with a hint of turmeric and coconut milk; the filling inside is sweet from seafood, fatty from meat, and rich from mung beans. The cake is served with a fresh “garden of raw vegetables” – from lettuce, herbs to wild leaves such as coccus leaves, lagerstroemia leaves, and young guava leaves in the West.

The difference lies in the dipping sauce. In the South, it is a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce with garlic, chili, and lemon; while in the Central region, many places use a thick broth made from peanuts, pork liver, soy sauce, or fish sauce. It is this diversity that makes banh xeo a dish that can "touch" the taste buds of many different regions.

Banh xeo not only conquers domestic diners but also makes a strong impression on international friends. According to TasteAtlas , this dish was once ranked in the Top 31 “best pancakes in the world ”, scoring 4.2/5 – a testament to its global appeal. The culinary site Tasting Table (USA) also praised Banh Xeo as a crispy, rich and Vietnamese dish.

Illustration photo

It can be seen that, without fussy ingredients, not expensive, banh xeo still affirms its position thanks to its strong attachment to Vietnamese culture and life. From a popular dish, it gradually becomes one of the specialties that must be tried when traveling to Vietnam in general or the Central regions in particular.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/mon-banh-dac-san-viet-len-dai-han-quoc-du-khach-nhan-xet-gio-toi-da-hieu-vi-sao-no-lai-duoc-yeu-thich-172250826175923334.htm