Steamed Rice Pan Cake

There are lots of different kinds of steamed rice pan cakes. In Viet Nam, we use rice flour to make so many cakes such as Banh Xeo, Banh Canh, Banh Hoi, Banh Beo, Banh Cuon, Banh Trang... and Vietnamese people also use rice flour to make noodles and there are differences between the north and the south. In the north, flat noodles are made, in the centre and the south, they are made thin and round sometimes in different colors.

Back to steamed rice pan cakes. Actually, in the north they are called Banh Cuon. They are steamed then mince pork and mushroom is added, and they are rolled to look like spring rolls. Dipped in fish sauce with dried onions, a bit of chili and some herbs, they taste delicious.In the south, they are known by the same name and follow the same process but they are made a little bit bigger.

Another steamed rice pan cake is called Banh Trang, and there are quite alot of different kinds of Banh Trang. In the centre of Viet Nam, they make this cracker with some chili and coconut. Some other places in the south also make this cake with milk or sugar but these cakes all can be eaten fresh or dried or grilled. You can eat them with beer, or dip them in shrimp sauce and drink wine or just as a snack. The producers of these crackers dry them in the sun on a bamboo frame and it takes about 30 mins before it is ready.

There are regional differences in the way they are cooked. Some places use the thin flat bamboo stick to pick the cake off the steamer after it's cooked, but other places use a round object like a bamboo stick or plastic tube to pick the cake off.

If you are a vegetarian, you also can eat Banh Cuon but don't forget to ask for them without meat. These cakes cost no more than a few thousand dong.