Cooked banana (depending on the place, it is also called fake banana or diagonal banana) is a popular dish in some northern provinces such as Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Bac Giang, and Hanoi .

In particular, in Ý Yên district ( Nam Định ), cooked bananas are considered by local people as an indispensable specialty on the tray of offerings on death anniversaries, weddings, and to entertain neighbors, relatives, and guests from near and far.

Cooked banana is a familiar dish that often appears on the trays of food of people in Ý Yên district (Nam Định). Source: Linh Hakii

Ms. Duong Lieu - owner of a facility providing full wedding catering services in Nam Dinh shared that depending on the culture of each region and the preferences of each family, the banana dish is varied.

However, the main ingredients to make this dish must include green bananas, bone broth (pork or chicken bones) and lard.

“In Ý Yên, banana dishes are often prepared with roasted peanuts. However, in some localities such as the suburbs of Hanoi or neighboring provinces of Nam Định, people combine this dish with galangal, fermented rice, minced meat, green beans…”, said Ms. Lieu.

Banana stew is also popular and common in the provinces of Bac Giang , Thai Binh, Hai Duong... Photo: Hong Thuan Cao

According to this woman, to make a delicious banana dish, the ingredients need to be carefully prepared and processed.

The bananas used must be green bananas, not too young or too old. This type of banana has a lot of starch inside, when cooked it will be soft, smooth, fragrant and naturally sweet.

“Do not choose bananas that are too young because when cooked, the soup will become mushy. Do not choose bananas that are too old because they are hard, not tasty, and can easily make the banana soup sour,” she added.

Cooked bananas must use green bananas to have a soft, chewy and fragrant texture. Photo: Lan Thao

Before cooking, peel the green bananas, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and soak them immediately in diluted salt water or rice water to prevent them from turning brown.

Then, people boil the bananas, and can add fresh turmeric or turmeric powder to create a natural yellow color for a more eye-catching dish.

Depending on the locality and cooking habits of each household, the way to prepare this dish is slightly different. The simplest way is to boil ripe bananas, mash them, then add bone broth, lard, minced meat, herbs (perilla, betel leaves, etc.), and bring to a boil.

To be more elaborate, saute the shallots with lard, add the boiled bananas, then add the bone broth and seasoning.

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Banana dish is made from rustic ingredients but requires meticulous preparation to be thick and delicious. Photo: @toinayangi2

With this popular method, the banana dish also goes through another important step of beating the bananas (pounding and slicing the bananas) so that the mixture has a smooth, viscous consistency.

“At banquets, when the dish is almost done, 3-4 people with strong hands take turns beating the bananas to achieve a thick, smooth consistency, ensuring deliciousness. The more thoroughly beaten and smooth the banana soup is, the more delicious it is. It looks like porridge but is very rich and fatty,” Ms. Lieu shared.

This woman also revealed that in some places today, the catering unit uses homemade machines and equipment to save time and effort when beating bananas.

However, the manual banana beating method is still preferred because it helps the dish to be smooth, supple, fragrant and shows the chef's skill.

Because it takes an experienced person to cook a bowl of bananas that are solid on top but not dry and soft on the bottom. If it is too hard or too watery, the dish is considered unsuccessful.

banana soup cooked with corn by Thi Van Anh.jpg
The banana dish has the rich, chewy taste of bananas, mixed with the rich taste of pork fat and the aroma of leaves and herbs. Photo: Ngo Thi Van Anh

In addition, the choice of pot is also a factor that contributes to the perfect flavor of the dish. Locals often use cast iron or cast aluminum pots with thick bottoms, which both retain heat to help the bananas ripen, and prevent the banana soup from sticking to the bottom of the pot, burning.

"If this dish is accidentally burnt, it is considered spoiled and must be thrown away," Ms. Lieu said.

Bananas are delicious served hot or cold. When cooled, they solidify and look like rice cakes. The thick texture of this dish comes from the bananas and bone broth.

“Although it is made from rustic ingredients, in Ý Yên, cooked bananas are often the first dish to run out, and anyone sitting at the table wants to enjoy it immediately.

This dish is available all year round, both summer and winter because it is delicious hot or cold," she added.

The 'underground' specialty is found from North to South, looks strange, tastes delicious and fills you up for a long time. Although it looks unattractive and causes itching, this tuber is considered an "underground" specialty, appearing from North to South.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mon-dac-san-het-dau-tien-trong-mam-co-o-nam-dinh-nguoi-tay-khoe-nau-cang-ngon-2403692.html