The art of crafting bánh bèo, bánh nậm, and bánh lọc began to take shape in the early 19th century, and for over 150 years, it has remained an integral part of life in Đức Bưu village. Hence, a journey to Huế would be incomplete without savoring the rich flavors of these nostalgic delicacies.
Explore Huế: Visit the Traditional Bánh Nậm and Bánh Lọc Village of Đức Bưu
In the memories of the elderly, while the art of making cakes has somewhat declined in other places over the past century, Đức Bưu village has continued to thrive, becoming a means of livelihood that enhances the quality of life for its residents. This has led locals to cherish and refine both the presentation and taste of their cakes, making them increasingly enticing for Huế's visitors.
Huế is nestled at the foot of the sea and boasts the vast Tam Giang – Cầu Hai estuary, renowned as the largest in the entire Southeast Asia region. This extensive water body is a rich source of seafood for Huế's specialty dishes, creating a unique and incomparable flavor profile.
Đức Bưu village's main industry revolves around producing various specialty cakes of Huế such as bánh bèo, packaged and unpackaged bánh lọc, bánh nậm, bánh ram, bánh ít, and bánh cuốn. These cakes are made from chewy and slightly tougher dough, with a deliciously fatty meat filling that doesn't stick to your fingers when eaten.
Choose only the freshest ingredients for making cakes, fresh shrimp, with a size neither too large nor too small; the outer layer is tapioca starch made from delicious cassava, through multiple sifting processes.
When making bánh nậm, villagers use finely ground rice, mixed with water and banana leaves to form a smooth dough, finely minced shrimp, along with banana leaves to wrap and steam, when eaten each cake is rolled up just right.
Bánh bèo has a shape resembling a water fern leaf, commonly appearing and highly favored by tourists visiting Huế, both domestic and international. Đức Bưu's bánh bèo is characterized by its delicacy, elegance, and petite size, but the flavor is perfectly harmonious, from the flour to the tiny shrimp, dipping sauce…
There are 2 types of bánh lọc: packaged bánh lọc wrapped in banana leaves, dong leaves, and unpackaged bánh lọc. The filling is made from shrimp mixed with spices, lean pork meat or a mixture of shrimp and pork meat. After the packaged bánh lọc is squeezed into cakes, it is wrapped in banana leaves, dong leaves, and steamed or boiled and quickly dipped in cold water. When eating bánh lọc, dipping it in the characteristic dipping sauce creates a rich flavor, a blend of sweet shrimp and meat flavors, the richness of fatty pork meat, and the spicy and fragrant taste of chili, garlic, along with the chewiness and firmness of the rice flour.
The cakes in Đức Bưu village are also creatively modified to make the dish even more enticing. Until now, it has become a specialty of the ancient capital of Huế in general and Hương Sơ in particular.
Each product made contains the feelings and thoughts of the cake makers, always containing the hardships of adhering to traditional crafts. Therefore, the flavor of the cake here is very unique, Hue people wherever they go, still remember their homeland, remember the cakes from ancient times.
When visiting Huế, don't forget to indulge in the delicacies of bánh lọc, bánh nậm, bánh bèo... in the craft village of Đức Bưu. Enjoying these ancient cakes not only offers the taste of the imperial city but also the warmth of the Huế people, making your journey more memorable! Follow Mytour's blog for more valuable articles for your trip!
As per Mytour
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Refer to: Travel Handbook on Mytour
MytourSeptember 27, 2022