Banh Trang Nuong, A New Street Bite In Saigon

In the late afternoons, when it is too early for the dinner

, I often stop by the banh trang nuong (grilled dry pancake) stall near the Notre Dame Cathedral for a light downtown snack. Besides the Notre Dame location on Han Thuyen Street, banh trang nuong can also be found on Nguyen Hue Street in District 1 and several other locations in the city.

Banh trang nuong is one of the newest street snacks in town. It was originally created in Dalat. It reveals how open Dalat cooking is to foreign food culture. Dalat was founded by the French during colonial times. As a result, French flavors such as butter, baguette bread, and jam have been used in local cuisine for decades.

"Over the last year, this kind of snack has become more popular in Ho Chi Minh City, but I have been cooking it for around two years," said the multi-tasking cook who I interviewed while she prepared a batch of banh trang nuong in front of the city's trademark church. She spread a dry pancake over hot charcoals in a pot and quickly spreads on the other ingredients.

The price for one banh trang nuong is only VND 7,000, the same as a mere motorbike parking fee at fancy establishments in District 1. In this city, it is a super cheap snack but the taste is also super interesting, and it's fun to eat.

Banh trang nuong includes tiny dry shrimp, a quail egg, ground pork, and chili paste all linked by a key French culinary staple: butter. All of these ingredients are very thinly spread over a round dry pancake, which is then folded in half when the cake is almost completely grilled. It takes only a minute to grill a single banh trang nuong.

Although banh trang nuong is a new dish, it reflects traditional Vietnamese cooking concepts that promote contrast in texture and color. There are different tastes and textures such as crunchy (dry pancake), spicy (chili sauce), fatty (butter), something salty and dry (tiny dried shrimp), and the freshness of shallots and quail eggs.

Banh trang nuong also includes a variety of colors: green (shallot), yellow (butter and quail egg), red (chili paste) and sand color (pancake).

When my cake was almost done, the cook turned it to grill the other side evenly. The cake was very hot, and the cook reminded me to be careful. Her husband gave me a piece of paper so I could hold the hot cake with my fingers.

Banh trang nuong has a nice fragrance of baked butter mixed with other fresh and dry ingredients. This taste is perfect for the late afternoon, when the temperature cools -- it's especially good after the rain. I like sitting under a tamarind tree and enjoying the cake while watching the sunset over Notre Dame Cathedral and April 30th Park. It is a special way to enjoy a relaxing moment in such a lively city.

by: Huong Emilie

POST COMMENT

Whats New About The Uid Labels Process? Houston Corporate Apartments; The Brand New Lodging In The Area Siddha Pine Woods New Launch In Rajarhat Kolkata Prateek Stylome Noida At Sector 45 New Residenatial Project How You Can New Technologies Is Advancing Super Food Performance Of Brazil Jaypee Greens New Launch Rasidential Project Of Garden Isles Dryer Machine Ushers New Technology Why Not Take On A Tree Change With New Home Builders? Online Conferencing: The New Face Of Communication Technology Make Your Search For The Best Job With Headhunters New York Jewelry Stores New York: Finding The Perfect Engagement Ring Ancient And New In Albatera Village Know The New Year Horoscope 2013