FOODS & DRINKS (PART 2)

(PART 2)

⏩Banh Cuon Vietnamese Steam Rice Rolls

Banh Cuon (Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls/Crepes) is the perfect holiday detox food. After the last Thanksgiving holiday back in Detroit, Michigan we needed something light, delicate, and yet flavorful to detox after our feast. So when my mom asked us what wanted to eat the weekend after thanksgiving dinner, we immediately requested some banh cuon. Banh cuon is a very light crepe often with ground pork, minced wood ear mushroom, and onions and eaten with Vietnamese ham (cha lua), steamed beansprouts, and cucumbers. Another variation arising from a village in Northern Vietnam famous for their banh cuon is called banh cuon “Thanh Tri” a style where the crepe is not rolled but kept in sheets without any filling, and sprinkled with fried onions.

Vietnamese banh cuon is different from the rice rolls found at Chinese dim sum, cheong fun, because the banh cuon crepe is extremely thin and delicate and not topped with sweet soy sauce. The reason for this thinness is the process of how it’s made. Banh cuon can be made extremely thin because it’s steamed over a fabric covered pot which can quickly cook the rice flour, keeping it moist and workable. My mom bought these pots that are specially outfitted with a metal ring where a fine nylon/cotton cloth is tautly stretched across and placed on top of the pot. A very thin layer of batter is poured on to the cloth and evenly spread and steams paper thin, and in less than a minute, a flat and flexible bamboo stick is used to lift off the delicate rice crepe.

⏩Bun Cha- Kebab rice noodles

Of all the great street food in Hanoi, perhaps there'd be no greater crime than to leave without having had Bún chả. Bún chả Hà Nội (grilled pork vermicelli soup) may not sound particularly appetizing, but be assured this thin rice vermicelli served cold with grilled marinated pork is legendary. Bun cha is served with a plate of white rice noodle (bún), a steamy broth and herbs. Traditionally, chả (the pork) is a marinated pork patty, but another type of chả (small pieces of fatty pork belly) also often accompany the patties. Learning the top Bún chả joints is a right of passage for all Hanoi residents.

⏩EGG COFFEE – THE “WEIRD” DRINK

The term egg-coffee may seem odd to many people. Coming to Hanoi, it is definite not; even it does taste far beyond your imagination. In order to make this drink, egg yolk is whisked with heated condensed milk until the mixture becomes frothy and fluffy. Then, the fluffy mixture is added on top of the coffee cup. A well-prepared egg-coffee cup is full of flavor: the bitterness of coffee, the sweetness of milk mixed with the creamy taste of whisked egg.

It all started in early 20th century when Vietnam was under French domination. The inventor of egg-coffee, Mr. Nguyen Van Giang was a bartender working for the 5-star Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel. Due to a milk shortage in Vietnam at that time, he replaced milk with egg yolk to make a cappuccino. After creating the recipe, he started his own business – Giảng café. Later, two other egg-coffee shops are opened by his children- Đinh café (next to Sword Lake) and Giảng cafe on Yên Phụ street. Today, Giảng and Đinh café are still the two most famous one for egg-coffee. Having appeared for a long time, egg-coffee is still a hot trend in Hanoi because of its unique flavor and the nostalgic feeling it brings.

⏩Hoa quả dầm – A fruit-buffet dessert

On a normal sunny day in Hanoi , there is nothing better than a dish of Hoa Qua Dam. This dish is a part of a drink, part of a dessert , but there’s no doubt it can satisfy every sweet tooth in this world in the healthiest way possible.

Hoa qua dam is many people’s favourite refreshing dessert. From kids who just finished school asking their parents for an afternoon dessert, to people who are seeking for nice refreshment after a long day at work, hoa qua dam is quite easy to find as it can be seen in every street and corner in Hanoi.

In each cup ( or bowl – which is actually more common in many shops ), there are so many different flavors and colors : strawberry, avocado, mango, watermelon, apple, pineapple,…The smell of fruits will seduce you even before you get to taste it.And you mix it with a little bit syrup for the color, jelly , tapioca pearls. Then the sweetness of yogurt , coolness of the ice , pleasing flavor of many kinds of fruits will make you be unable to have the dish just once, but twice and many more times after.

People say that hoa qua dam has every parts of the country in it. This is reasonable since inside the dish are fruits from the north, south and the center of the country, from every cities and provinces. Each fruit has different flavor that can not be described until you have tried them.