Buzz
From ancient times to the present, banana leaves have always been a familiar ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Especially, the shiny green banana leaves have contributed significantly to creating a unique cultural feature for the Western rivers and water region. If anyone has ever visited the Western region, they surely cannot forget the fragrant and flavorful Western cakes wrapped in banana leaves. Let's take a look at the top 6 banana leaf-wrapped Western cakes with '1-0-2' in the Western region.
Western cakes wrapped in banana leaves - Plain cakes
At the top of the list of the most popular Western cakes wrapped in banana leaves is plain cakes. This is one of the Western cakes that leaves a deep impression on many diners.
Plain cakes are round in shape, white in color, made from wheat flour, and glutinous rice flour. The outer crust is soft and elastic, wrapped in green bean paste inside. The filling can be either savory or sweet, depending on the preference of each diner. Savory filling typically includes shrimp and meat mixed with vegetables; while sweet filling consists of mung beans or coconut with a slightly nutty and creamy taste.
Plain cakes are usually steamed on banana leaves, creating a pleasant fragrance (Image source: Collected)
Each plain cake is steamed with banana leaves to create a sweet aroma, stimulating the taste buds of diners. And there's nothing better than enjoying plain cakes with sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables.
Plain cakes with green bean and coconut filling
Plain cakes are among the renowned banana leaf-wrapped Western cakes throughout the Southern provinces of Vietnam. Plain cakes are typically divided into two common fillings: green bean and coconut. To make delicious and authentic Western plain cakes, glutinous rice flour, banana leaves, and various spices are essential ingredients.
Plain cakes with green bean filling are a favorite Western cake among many tourists (Image source: Collected)
Afterward, each layer of glutinous rice flour is kneaded into round or oval shapes. The filling is portioned out with just the right amount, then placed in the center of the dough. The final step is wrapping the cake in banana leaves. Plain cakes are steamed for about 10 to 15 minutes until cooked. When the cakes are cooked, the outer crust becomes softer and smoother, and the filling becomes even more aromatic. Plain cakes often have a sweet taste from the glutinous rice flour blending with the rich flavor of the moist filling.
In the traditional customs of the Western people, plain cakes are often enjoyed and presented during festivals and ancestor worship ceremonies. If you have the opportunity to visit the Western region, you can buy plain cakes as gifts for your relatives and friends.
Sticky rice cake
Simply setting foot in the Mekong Delta, you'll easily come across this special Western cake wrapped in banana leaves. At first glance, sticky rice cakes resemble plain cakes. However, the preparation process of this cake is very meticulous, requiring skilled craftsmanship.
Among them, the filling of sticky rice cakes accounts for up to 70% of the success rate of this dish. One of the most common fillings of sticky rice cakes is mung bean. The mung beans are boiled until tender and then ground into a paste. Afterward, the chef will mix the mung beans with sugar to create the filling. Besides, savory fillings made from pork are also quite popular in some provinces of the Western region.
The layer of salted egg yolk, fatty pork filling is the most attractive feature of savory sticky rice cakes (Image source: Collected)
Sticky rice cakes often have a rich, sweet flavor from the mung bean filling and characteristic glutinous rice flour. A standard sticky rice cake must ensure a naturally soft and elastic structure. This is a popular Western cake wrapped in banana leaves during holidays and Tet. Moreover, sticky rice cakes symbolize the reunion and gathering in the Vietnamese tradition.
Western cake wrapped in banana leaves - Tet cake
Similar to Chung cake in the Northern region, Tet cake is a traditional cake often seen during Tet holidays in the provinces of the Southern Mekong Delta. Tet cake carries profound meanings of national cultural identity and gratitude to ancestors.
Tet cake is usually cylindrical, long, wrapped in young banana leaves and tied with rattan strings to firmly secure the cake shell. Inside, Tet cake often contains glutinous rice, mung beans stacked alternately with pork fat, pork, and chicken meat. Tet cake is boiled on a charcoal stove for 8 - 12 hours until the outer shell becomes soft and elastic. Besides enjoying directly, it can also be fried or grilled according to personal taste and preference.
Tet cake is a significant traditional dish during every Tet holiday in the Western region of Vietnam (Image source: Collected)
On the nights before Tet, families in the Western provinces often gather together to make Tet cakes under the round moonlight. This is considered a traditional cultural aspect symbolizing the unity of the people in the Western region.
Banana taro cake
Taro and banana are two familiar ingredients in the Western rivers and water region. Therefore, the people of the Western region have utilized taro and banana to create a rustic cake. The chewy outer crust is made from taro, while ripe bananas are the main ingredient for the sweet filling inside.
Taro banana cake is a childhood snack for many children in the Western region (Image source: Collected)
A complete taro banana cake typically has a transparent outer layer and a vibrant banana filling. If paired with creamy coconut milk, this Western banana leaf-wrapped cake is simply perfect. When enjoying taro banana cake, you will smell the fragrant aroma of banana leaves and taste the sweet flavor of the chewy cake.
Unlike other Western cakes, taro banana cakes are only widely popular in some provinces of the Western region, so fewer people know about them. However, diners can still enjoy this cake when experiencing some Western tours with Mytour.
Western banana leaf-wrapped cake - Xu Xê cake
Xu Xê cake is one of the most popular Western banana leaf-wrapped cakes across the Southern provinces of Vietnam. Xu Xê cake is made from rice flour, mung bean paste, grated coconut, and banana leaves. Firstly, the mung bean filling is thoroughly soaked in water to remove the husks. Next, the mung beans are steamed, mashed, and mixed with sugar syrup. Finally, the chef blends the mung beans with some grated coconut strands.
Xu Xê cake is a special combination of various ingredients such as grated coconut, glutinous rice flour, and mung beans (Image source: Collected)
Xu Xê cake often boasts a natural green color, a fragrant and chewy outer layer, a mild sweetness, and a rich aroma of mung beans. Xu Xê cakes are commonly found at weddings, engagements, and betrothal ceremonies in the Western provinces.
The Western banana leaf-wrapped cakes, whether savory or sweet, all have a special allure for every tourist. Each banana leaf-wrapped cake carries different flavors and unique characteristics. This further enhances the diversity and richness of Western cuisine in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general. We hope that through the sharing from Mytour, you will gain more valuable knowledge. If you have a special affection for the Western rivers and water region, don't miss out on Mytour's Western tours! Contact Mytour's hotline Mytour for free consultation and receive many attractive offers.
