What do you know about banh khot?
Possibly no one knows when banh khot (a somewhat small Vietnamese pancake) appeared in
A banh khot stallholder on
Rice, cold rice after being cooked or rice crust at the bottom of the pot, shrimp, ground dried shrimp, nuoc mam (fish sauce) and vegetables are the main ingredients of the dish.
Muoi said that first she mills the mix of rice and cold rice after being cooked into flour before pouring the flour into a mould that has nearly 50 small holes in the shape of a half circle.
After that, she adds dried shrimp and fresh shrimp to the holes. Diners can eat the dish after the mix’s skin becomes yellow. “Rolling the banh khot with vegetables and using fish sauce is the feasible way to enjoy the banh khot,” she said, adding that a banh khot dish contains 8-10 pieces.
The owner of the Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua stall on Nguyen Truong To Street, which is said to serve the most delicious banh khot dishes in the city, has a different specific detail to attract diners.
“In the flour mix, besides rice, we also use rice crust from the bottom of the pot so that the cake becomes crisper,” the owner said. “Moreover, for the vegetable, we use many cabbages. The combination the slight bitterness of the cabbage, banh khot’s crispness and the fish sauce’s saltiness is wonderful for diners.”
The stall is now some 21 years old, the same age as the owner’s daughter, who is being trained to inherit her mother’s stall.
Available for breakfast or light meals
Because of the popularity of the dish in small pieces, the banh khot can be eaten for breakfast. “Especially on weekends, when people are off work, the mornings are peak times at our stall with many diners coming here to enjoy banh khot for breakfast,” the Banh Khot Cay Vu Sua’s owner said.
When traveling to other banh khot stalls from Banh Khot Co Hai on
In the afternoon when school or work is finished, friends can drop in at a stall to enjoy banh khot pieces as a light meal.
The Banh Khot Rach Dua Stall on Ba Muoi Thang Tu Street, about 5 km from the city’s downtown, can be an interesting option because it only serves banh khot in the afternoon. Although it is a good distance from downtown, many residents and tourists visit there to dine because of its quality.
At night, especially on weekends, is also a favorite time to enjoy banh khot. During the trip around the
It is said that besides seafood, which is already famous there, tourists can enjoy a banh khot tour when visiting Vung Tau to understand more about the specialty.
A banh khot dish includes 8-10 small pieces. Prices start from VND10,000-15,000 a dish.
According to Tay legend, Pia, an orphan, war poor and lonely. Discouraged with life, he went to the forest and gathered pieces of fruit to throw around. One time, he threw a fruit so hard it flew straight to heaven, where a fairy caught it. The fairy flew down to the earth to play with Pia. Before long, they fell in love and became husband and wife.
According to tradition, before playing, the Tay people first prepare a tray of food, which they take to the field and offer to the Sky and Earth. Two balls and a bamboo ring on the tray represent vitality and virtue. The festival leader, who must have high status, prays to the Sky and Earth lo brings rain so that the community will have a good harvest. After this ceremony, the leader tosses the two balls high into the air. Everyone competes to catch them, signaling the beginning of festivities.