Banh khoai - a special fried cake of Hue

Banh Khoai is a special fried cake of Hue, Vietnam. This is one of the famous specialties of the ancient capital, made by Hue people from rice flour and cooked with wood stoves. After frying, Banh Khoai is fragrant, has a golden color combined with the aroma - color - flavor blending on the tip of the tongue, enough to impress you from the first bite, lingering with the lingering aftertaste after enjoying.

1. Banh Khoai - A rustic dish of Hue people

When it comes to the cuisine of the ancient capital, besides famous dishes such as Hue turmeric noodles, Hue sour rolls..., Khoai cake is also a unique dish that focuses on both quality and presentation of the ancient capital of Hue.

Banh Khoai is a special fried cake of Hue. The way to make it is quite similar to Banh Xeo Nam Bo but the shape of the cake is completely different. Banh Khoai is round in shape, made from the main ingredient of rice flour, with filling on top. When fried, Banh Khoai is fragrant, golden yellow. When eaten, it is usually folded in half on a pure white porcelain plate and served with raw vegetables and dipping sauce.

The ingredients to make the cake include rice flour, shrimp, green beans, bean sprouts, etc. The cake crust is made from rice flour mixed with water, adding a little turmeric powder for color, seasoning with salt and MSG to create a thick dough mixture. The stage of mixing the dough to make the cake is extremely important, determining the deliciousness of the cake crust. Whether the cake is delicious or not depends on this stage.

Regarding the name of the cake, ancient people said that this cake was made from rice flour and used a wood stove to cook. Every time the stove turned off because the wood was wet, smoke billowed up, so it was named like that. The way Hue people call it often deviates the rhyme from "oi" to "oai". That is why the name "Banh Khoai" instead of "Banh Khoi" was born. There is also another opinion that because this cake is very delicious, it is called "khoai" in "khoai khau".

Looking at a plate of golden, hot Banh Khoai, diners already feel hungry with cravings. Banh Khoai is often eaten with raw vegetables, rice paper, sliced figs, dipped in a bowl of rich broth, which is hard to resist. Banh Khoai is delicious when eaten hot, more suitable for dinner than lunch. Eating it once makes you want to eat it again, worthy of becoming a specialty that any tourist to Hue wants to stop by to enjoy.

Decorating the side of the cake are Hue vegetables with the astringent taste of figs and green bananas, the sour taste of star fruit, the spicy taste of chili and garlic, the aromatic taste of basil along with a little lettuce. Hue people also make a sweet and sour dish made from papaya and carrots shredded into small pieces and soaked in vinegar and sugar.

2. How do Hue people make Khoai cake?

It is not too difficult to make a Banh Khoai. However, how to make the cake delicious and crispy is the important thing. To make the cake, the baker uses a small, flat-bottomed cast iron pan with a diameter of about 15cm and a thickness of 2cm to 3cm. After placing the pan on the stove to heat it up, add a little cooking oil and then add the water and flour to the pan. The heat must be adjusted evenly for the cake to be delicious. When the cake crust turns golden, it means the cake is just cooked.

Place the cast iron pan on the stove to heat the pan, coat the pan with a spoonful of cooking oil, then add a ladle of dough to the pan. Next, spread the filling evenly over the surface. After adding the filling, cover the pan and wait about 3 minutes for the cake to cook, then add the green onions. Wait until the crust is golden brown and the edges are browned, then take it out.

Dipping sauce is also one of the factors that determine the flavor of Banh Khoai. Hue people make Banh Khoai dipping sauce quite elaborately. It is cooked from more than 10 types of spices with special ingredients such as pork liver and minced lean meat along with other spices such as onions, garlic, roasted sesame, peanuts, soy sauce, shrimp paste, MSG... The dipping sauce is simmered until it thickens and has a light yellow color to be the right taste.

3. Some places to enjoy Banh Khoai

3.1. Ms. Hanh's Khoai Cake

There are many places in Hue that sell Banh Khoai. Walking around small alleys, market corners, and street vendors, you can easily find this Hue delicacy. Among them, Ms. Hanh's Banh Khoai shop, famous for its deliciousness in Hue, has successfully made thousands of people fall in love with it. The shop sells many types of Hue cakes, especially Banh Khoai, Beo, Nam, Loc, and Nem Lui. The shop is conveniently located near the Western Quarter, so many foreign tourists come to enjoy Hue cuisine.

This is one of the delicious and affordable banh khoai. The cake here has a delicious flavor, typical of the restaurant's family secret. Along with the rich broth of pork liver, the fatty taste of crushed peanuts and the aroma of sesame is enough to make you fall in love from the first bite.

• Address: 11 Phu Duc Chinh, Hue City
• Opening hours: 8:00 to 22:00
• Reference price: 20,000 VND - 55,000 VND

3.2. Khoai Lac Thien Cake

Lac Thien restaurant, also known as Thuong Tu, is located at 6 Dinh Tien Hoang street. This is one of the oldest traditional restaurants in Hue. Tourists often choose to eat cakes here and then visit Mo Ton Dich sweet soup restaurant in Thuong Bac park, about a minute's walk away.

There are many different types of Banh Khoai fillings here, visitors can freely order according to their preferences to avoid getting bored. If you are a student and are addicted to Banh Khoai, invite your friends to visit this place. Not only is it famous for its delicious taste, the restaurant also leaves a good impression on visitors because of its affordable prices, suitable for a rustic, simple dish.

• Address: 6 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hue city
• Opening hours: 8:00-22:30
• Reference price: 50,000 VND - 70,000 VND

3.3. Hong Mai Cake

A famous cake shop in Hue is Hong Mai shop located at 78 Dinh Tien Hoang. The shop attracts visitors with its delicious cakes, rich broth and attentive service style. Hong Mai Banh Khoai has long been one of the favorite places to eat Banh Khoai in Hue for many young people.

The restaurant has a fairly large, clean space, the staff is extremely funny and cute, so it leaves a very good impression on visitors. Thanks to that, many people come here to eat as a habit, not only because they miss the taste but also because they love the service attitude of the restaurant. Banh Khoai Hong Mai is always crowded from the time it opens until it closes, so if you don't want to wait long, choosing to go early before 6pm will be extremely suitable.

• Address: 78 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hue city
• Opening hours: 10:00 to 22:00
• Reference price: 10,000 VND - 20,000 VND

Banh Khoai is a typical dish of Hue cuisine. If you have the opportunity to visit this poetic ancient city, do not forget to take a moment to fully enjoy the delicious and unique taste of this dish. Besides, Hue cuisine still has many diverse and unique dishes waiting for you to discover. Do not forget to pocket the experience of traveling to Hue on your own to freely stir up the culinary paradise of the ancient capital!

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