Bánh bò
Encyclopedia
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 coconut. The cake is of Southern Chinese
origin, although the Chinese version, called bái táng gāo
(白糖糕), does not contain coconut milk.http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html Bánh bò are generally eaten as a dessert, although they may also be consumed as an accompaniment to a meal.
, bánh means "cake," and bò means "cow" or "crawl". The dessert gets its name from its inner texture, which resembles that of beef liver.
The South Indian
steamed rice cake called idli is similar in texture, although idli are never sweet. However, the dish is quite similar to the Vattayappam (a type of appam
from Kerala, India.)
Sponge cake
Sponge cake is a cake based on flour , sugar, and eggs, sometimes leavened with baking powder which has a firm, yet well aerated structure, similar to a sea sponge. A sponge cake may be produced by either the batter method, or the foam method. Typicially the batter method in the U.S. is known as a...
from Vietnam. It is made from rice flour
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....
, water, sugar, and yeast, and has a honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
-like appearance on the inside due to the presence of numerous small air bubbles. Coconut milk
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the water that comes from the grated meat of a coconut. The colour and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content. In many parts of the world, the term coconut milk is also used to refer to coconut water, the naturally occurring liquid found inside the hollow...
is also usually a part of the batter, imparting a slight flavor and aroma of coconut. The cake is of Southern Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
origin, although the Chinese version, called bái táng gāo
White sugar sponge cake
White sugar sponge cake is a type of Chinese pastry. It is one of the most common pastries in Hong Kong. Overseas, however, it is much more rare in Chinatown bakery shops....
(白糖糕), does not contain coconut milk.http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html Bánh bò are generally eaten as a dessert, although they may also be consumed as an accompaniment to a meal.
Etymology
In the Vietnamese languageVietnamese 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...
, bánh means "cake," and bò means "cow" or "crawl". The dessert gets its name from its inner texture, which resembles that of beef liver.
Varieties
There are two varieties of bánh bò:- Bánh bò nướng (literally "grilled bánh bò") - This variety of bánh bò is cooked by baking in a pan in an oven. It is generally off-white or yellowish-white in color on the inside and golden on the outside by caramelized coconut milk. Individual cakes are often large in size, in which case a serving will consist of a slice rather than the whole cake.photo This variety is definitely served alone.
- Bánh bò hấp (literally "steamed bánh bò") is similar in appearance to the baked version. These cakes are often small in size, ball-shaped and cooked from liquid. Bánh bò hấp may be white in color, green (by Pandanus amaryllifoliusPandanus amaryllifoliusPandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the screwpine genus which is known commonly as pandan and is used widely in Southeast Asian cooking as a flavoring. The plant is rare in the wild but is widely cultivated. It is an upright green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike...
extract), pink or pale purple (by magenta plant extract).http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html There are three ways to serve this variety. Like bánh bò nướng, it can be used alone. It can be put in the middle of bánh tiêu (chinese hallow doughnuts) and served. Also, people enjoy them in a small dish with coconut milk sauce including 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,...
starchStarchStarch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
on top and a little bit muối mè or muối đậu phộng (literally: sesame salt and peanut salt, respectively).http://pwmf.blogspot.com/2005/10/bnh-b-steamed-rice-cakes.html
-
- Both traditional varieties are available in Vietnam as well as in Asian grocery storesAsian supermarketAn Asian supermarket, sometimes called an "Oriental supermarket", is a grocery store in non-Asian countries that stocks items imported from the many countries in East and Southeast Asia. They carry items and ingredients generally well-suited for Asian cuisines and not found in most Western...
in countries with susbstantial overseas Vietnamese populations, such as the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
- Both traditional varieties are available in Vietnam as well as in Asian grocery stores
- Bánh bò sữa (nướng) (literally "(grilled) milk bánh bò") is a brand new variety of bánh bò appearing in mid 2000s. Coconut milk, the official traditional ingredient is replaced by condensed milk or milk powder. The variety is cooked in a small pan.
- Bánh bò dừa (literally "coconut bánh bò") is the latest variety of bánh bò appearing in late 2000s. It is not generally recognized because it seems totally different from three above mainly from core ingredients. Core ingredients are wheat powder, hen eggs, baking soda and obviously sweetened coconut. It tastes much leathery, seldom hard crispy and silky in skin as opposed three above. In the middle, there is sweetened coconut with cooked 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...
.
The South Indian
South Indian cuisine
South Indian Cuisine is a term used to refer to the cuisines found in the four southern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.-Similarities and differences in "Four states' cuisines":...
steamed rice cake called idli is similar in texture, although idli are never sweet. However, the dish is quite similar to the Vattayappam (a type of appam
Appam
Appam, Aappam hoppers, are a type of food in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan cuisine. It is called chitau Pitha in Oriya, Paddu or Gulle Eriyappa in Kodava. It is known as ආප්ප in Sinhala. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner.Appum or aapum – pronunciation varies between regions...
from Kerala, India.)