Bánh
Encyclopedia
Bánh is a Vietnamese
term, translating loosely as "cake" or "bread", that refers to a wide variety of prepared foods. With the addition of qualifying adjectives, bánh refers to a wide variety of sweet or savoury, distinct cakes, buns, pastries, sandwiches, and food items from Vietnamese cuisine, which may be cooked by steaming, baking, frying, deep-frying, or boiling. Foods made from rice
or wheat flour
are generally called bánh, but the term may also refer to certain varieties of noodle and fish cake dishes, such as bánh canh
and bánh hỏi.
Each variety of bánh is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word bánh, such as bánh bò
(literally "cow cake") or bánh chuối (literally "banana cake"). Bánh that are wrapped in leaves before steaming are called bánh lá
(literally "leaf cakes").
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
term, translating loosely as "cake" or "bread", that refers to a wide variety of prepared foods. With the addition of qualifying adjectives, bánh refers to a wide variety of sweet or savoury, distinct cakes, buns, pastries, sandwiches, and food items from Vietnamese cuisine, which may be cooked by steaming, baking, frying, deep-frying, or boiling. Foods made from rice
Rice flour
Rice flour is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye....
or wheat flour
Wheat flour
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. More wheat flour is produced than any other flour. Wheat varieties are called "clean," "white," or "brown" if they have high gluten content, and they are called "soft" or "weak" flour if gluten content is low...
are generally called bánh, but the term may also refer to certain varieties of noodle and fish cake dishes, such as bánh canh
Banh canh
Bánh canh is a thick Vietnamese noodle that can be made from a mixture of rice and tapioca flour. In bánh canh soup dishes, the noodles are combined with one of several soup bases, such as:...
and bánh hỏi.
Each variety of bánh is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word bánh, such as bánh bò
Bánh bò
Bánh bò is a sweet, chewy sponge cake from Vietnam. It is made from rice flour, water, sugar, and yeast, and has a honeycomb-like appearance on the inside due to the presence of numerous small air bubbles. Coconut milk is also usually a part of the batter, imparting a slight flavor and aroma of...
(literally "cow cake") or bánh chuối (literally "banana cake"). Bánh that are wrapped in leaves before steaming are called bánh lá
Bánh lá
Bánh lá is a category of bánh, or Vietnamese cakes, that consist of a parcel of a variety of rice stuffed with some fillings and wrapped in a leaf or leaves.-Varieties:*Bánh bột lọc - cassava cake packed with shrimp...
(literally "leaf cakes").
Varieties
There is a nearly endless variety of named dishes with the prefix bánh. What follows is a list of the most typical traditional varieties of bánh.Noodles
- Bánh canhBanh canhBánh canh is a thick Vietnamese noodle that can be made from a mixture of rice and tapioca flour. In bánh canh soup dishes, the noodles are combined with one of several soup bases, such as:...
- thick noodle - Bánh hỏiphoto - extremely thin noodles that are woven into intricate bundles and often topped with chopped scallions and a complementary meat dish
- Bánh phở - The steamed flat and thin cake made from rice flour and water before being cut into strips. The strips are no longer called Bánh phở but are called "con phở" or "cọng phở," noodles that are used in phởPHOPHO may refer to:* Primary Health Organisation* Potentially hazardous object, an asteroid or comet that could potentially collide with Earth...
. The width of the strips are usually around 1cm or less.
Dumplings
- Bánh bá trạng (Bak Chang dumplings) - like Chinese zongziZongziZongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice...
http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2006/05/bnh-b-trng-bak-chang-dumplings.html - Bánh baoBánh baoBánh bao is a ball-shaped dumpling with pork or chicken meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables inside, in Vietnamese cuisine. The steamed bun often has ground pork or chicken, Chinese sausage, and a portion of a hard-boiled egg inside...
photo - ball-shaped bun filled with pork and/or other ingredients - Bánh bột lọc - tapiocaTapiocaTapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
cake packed with shrimp- Bánh bột lọc trầnphoto - dumplings with wrappers made of tapioca starch; similar to Chaozhou fun guoFun guoFun guo, or Chaozhou fun guo sometimes spelled fun quor, fun gor, fen guo, Chiu Chow dumpling or Teochew dumpling is a variety of steamed dumpling from the Chaoshan area of coastal eastern Guangdong, a province in Southern China.-Ingredients:They are typically filled with chopped peanuts, garlic...
- Bánh bột lọc láphoto - tiny rice flour dumplings stuffed with shrimp and ground pork and wrapped in a banana leaf; from Hue
- Bánh bột lọc trầnphoto - dumplings with wrappers made of tapioca starch; similar to Chaozhou fun guo
- Bánh cam - deep-fried glutinous rice sesame balls filled with sweetened mung bean paste; from southern Vietnam
- Bánh ít - small stuffed glutinous rice flour balls
- Bánh ít trầnphoto - "naked" small stuffed glutinous rice flour balls
- Bánh khúcphoto - glutinous rice ball
- Bánh nậmphoto - flat rice flour dumpling from Hue stuffed with minced pork and mushroom, and seasoned with pepper and spices; wrapped in a banana leaf
- Bánh phu thêphoto - (literally "husband and wife cake"; a sweet cake made of rice or tapioca flour and gelatin, filled with mung bean paste; also spelled bánh xu xê)
- Bánh phu thê bột bán (husband and wife cakes made with tapioca pearls)
- Bánh ránBánh ránBánh rán is a deep-fried glutinous rice ball from northern Vietnamese cuisine. In Vietnamese, bánh means "cake" and rán means "fried."...
- deep-fried glutinous rice sesame balls filled with sweetened mung bean paste; from northern Vietnam - Bánh tẻ, small steamed rice cake wrapped with Lá dong leaves into a long, thin cylindrical shape, and boiled thoroughly.
Pancakes
- Bánh bèoBánh bèoA bánh bèo is a variety of small steamed rice cake or rice pancake in Vietnamese cuisine. It is white in color and typically features a dimple in the center, which is filled with savory ingredients including chopped dried or fresh shrimp, scallions, mung bean paste, crispy fried shallots, fish...
photo - small steamed savory rice cakes - Bánh cănphoto - a southern specialty consisting of small pancakes made with quail eggs, cooked in small clay pans
- Bánh đúc, rice cake or corn cake eaten as a dessert or savory mealphoto
- Bánh rế - deep-fried pancake
- Bánh khọtphoto - a southern specialty consisting of small, fried rice flour pancakes
- Bánh xèoBánh XèoBánh xèo are Vietnamese savoury fried pancakes made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, diced green onion, and bean sprouts. Southern-styled banh xeo contains coconut milk and certain Central region skips the turmeric powder altogether...
- coconut milk-flavored crepes
Rolls
- Bánh cuốn - steamed rice roll
- Bánh tôm - shrimp patties
- Bánh tôm Hồ Tâyphoto - a shrimp patty made from deep fried julienned sweet potatoes - specialty originating from the area around West LakeWest Lake (Hanoi)West Lake is a freshwater lake in the center of Hanoi, Vietnam. With a shore length of 17 km , this is the largest lake of the capital and a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, hotels and villas. A small part of West Lake is divided by Thanh Nien road to form Truc Bach...
(Tay HoTay HoTây Hồ is an urban district of Hanoi the capital city of Vietnam, named after the West Lake nearby. VietJet AirAsia, a planned airline, has its headquarters on the fourth floor of the Flower Mansion in Tay Ho. Air Mekong maintains its Hanoi branch on the third floor of the Syrena Tower in Tay...
), Hanoi
- Bánh tôm Hồ Tâyphoto - a shrimp patty made from deep fried julienned sweet potatoes - specialty originating from the area around West Lake
Rice paper
- Bánh trángRice paperRice paper usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or rice flour. The term is also used for paper made from or containing other plants, such as hemp, bamboo or mulberry...
- rice paper - Bánh ướt - steamed rice paper
Sweet cakes
- Bánh bòBánh bòBánh bò is a sweet, chewy sponge cake from Vietnam. It is made from rice flour, water, sugar, and yeast, and has a honeycomb-like appearance on the inside due to the presence of numerous small air bubbles. Coconut milk is also usually a part of the batter, imparting a slight flavor and aroma of...
- "cow cake," made from glutinous rice flour and coconut milk, with a honeycomb-like texture - Bánh cáyBánh cáyBánh cáy is a variety of bánh made in the Thai Binh Province of northern Vietnam. It is made of sticky rice, sugar, gac or gardenia, sesame, carrots, mandarin orange peel, and lard. The mixture is roasted and ground, then put into a square box...
, rectangular-shaped sweet dessert made by roasting and grinding glutinous rice and other ingredients - Bánh da lợn - colored steamed layer cake made from tapioca starch, rice flour, coconut milk and/or water, sugar, and other ingredients
- Bánh đúc - rice cake or corn cake eaten as a dessert or savory mealphoto
- Bánh chuối - banana cake
- Bánh khoai môn - taro cake
- Bánh tiêu - hollow doughnutsphoto
- Bánh trung thuMooncakeMooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings...
- mooncake - Bánh khoai mìBánh khoai mìBánh khoai mì is a Vietnamese cake made from grated cassava, sugar, coconut milk, and a small amount of salt.There are two varieties:*Bánh khoai mì nướng - baked*Bánh khoai mì hấp - steamed...
photo - sweet cassava cake
Dishes for special occasions
- Bánh chưngBanh ChungBánh chưng is a traditional Vietnamese cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung bean, pork and other ingredients. Its origin is told by the legend of Lang Liêu, a prince of the sixth Hùng Vương, who became Hùng Vương's successor thank to his creation of bánh chưng and bánh dày, which...
- square-shaped steamed glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in a dongDongDong may refer to:Asian languages* Vietnamese đồng , the currency unit of Vietnam* Dong people , an ethnic minority group in China* Dong language* Dong Lake, a lake in the Hunan Province of China* Dong quai, a medicinal herb...
leaf (lá dong) - Bánh tétBánh tétBánh tét is a Vietnamese savoury but sometimes sweetened cake made primarily from glutinous rice, which is rolled in a banana leaf into a thick, log-like cylindrical shape, with a meat or vegetarian filling , then boiled. After cooking, the banana leaf is removed and the cake is sliced into...
- log-shaped cylindrical glutinous rice cake, wrapped in a banana leaf and filled with a meat or vegetarian filling - Bánh trôi photo (also called bánh chay; literally "floating cake") - served together with bánh chay
- Bánh tô - a round, golden/taupe colored, sticky cake served for new years. It's made of glutinous rice flour, sugar, water, and soybean oil. Like the Chinese new year cake, neen gow, the bánh tô is cut into thin slices then dipped in egg and fried before serving. This is an uncommon pastry and it's said the shape represents a wheel. It is sometimes decorated with white sesame seeds and red food coloring. (cf Kue KeranjangKue KeranjangKue Keranjang , also called Nian Gao or Tii Kwee in Hokkian, China, is a cake that is made from glutinous flour and sugar. It has an elastic and sticky texture. This kind of cake is prepared for Imlek celebrations . Kue keranjang was used as an offering to spirits, just before New Year until the...
in Indonesia)
Others
- Bánh bông hồngphoto
- Bánh bông lan
- Bánh chay - served together with bánh trôi
- Bánh cốm - green rice cake made using cốmCOMCOM is the original, yet still common, name of the serial port interface on IBM PC-compatible computers. It might not only refer to physical ports, but also to virtual ports, such as ports created by bluetooth or USB-to-Serial adapters....
with mung beanMung beanThe mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
filling - Bánh đa (Northern) or Bánh tráng nướng (Southern)- rice cracker
- Bánh đậu xanhphoto - sweet mung beanMung beanThe mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
paste - Bánh dứa
- Bánh gai - made from the leaves of the "gai" tree (Boehmeria nivea) dried, boiled, ground into small pieces, then mixed with glutinous rice, wrapped in banana leaf. The filling is made from a mixture of coconut, mung bean, peanuts, winter melon, sesames, and lotus seeds.
- Bánh giầy, also written as bánh dầy - white, flat, round glutinous rice cake with tough, chewy texture filled with mung bean or served with Vietnamese sausage (Giò lụa)
- Bánh giò - pyramid shaped rice dough dumplings filled with pork, shallot, and wood ear mushroom wrapped in banana leaf
- Bánh ít lá gai - triangular dumpling wrapped in ramieRamieRamie is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1–2.5 m tall; the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance;...
leaf, similar to Chinese zongziZongziZongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. Laotians, Thais, and Cambodians also have similar traditional dishes. In the Western world, they are also known as rice... - Bánh kẹp - Vietnamese waffle cookies made from rice flour - like a PizzellePizzellePizzelle are traditional Italian waffle cookies made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter or vegetable oil, and flavoring . Pizzelle can be hard and crisp or soft and chewy depending on the ingredients and method of preparation.Pizzelle were originally made in the Abruzzo region of south-central Italy...
- Bánh mật - Molasses-sweetened glutinous rice cake (filled with green bean paste or groundnut)
- Bánh lá dừa - Cake wrapped in coconut leaf
- Bánh phồng tôm - prawn cracker
- Bánh phục linh
- Bánh quế
- Bánh tráng mè
External links
See also
- Bánh at Vietnamese Wikipedia
- Bing (Chinese flatbread)
- Vietnamese cuisine