Buzz
Every day, the three branches of Mrs. Lan's 'bánh khúc' shop on Nguyễn Công Trứ, Thụy Khuê, and Lê Duẩn are bustling with customers. Currently, her shop sells out thousands of pieces daily.
Renowned for its delectable taste, Hanoi's famous 'bánh khúc' is priced at only 13,000 VND per piece. Enjoy a satisfying morning to noon meal with thousands sold daily.
'Who sells 'bánh khúc' here… which 'bánh khúc'...' – that familiar chant echoes the childhood memories of many Hanoians. This snack holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Hanoi, evoking beautiful memories of a land with a thousand years of civilization.
In Hanoi, it's not difficult to buy a 'bánh khúc', but to savor a delicious one, you must visit Mrs. Lan's sticky rice cake stall – renowned for serving the best 'bánh khúc' in Hanoi at 3 locations: Nguyễn Công Trứ, Lê Duẩn, and Thụy Khuê.
Recently, the name 'bánh khúc' by Mrs. Lan has gained more international recognition as it was served by dozens of culinary experts at the media center of the 2019 US-North Korea Summit.
30 years preserving Hanoi's finest 'bánh khúc'
While traversing the streets of Hanoi, you might have been surprised by the numerous signs proclaiming 'Authentic Mrs. Lan's Sticky Rice Cakes', 'Genuine Mrs. Lan's Sticky Rice Cakes'... all to assert the authenticity of their offerings as the true 'Mrs. Lan' standard. However, the origin of this brand's sticky rice cakes starts from a small stall on Nguyễn Công Trứ street, then expanded to two more small stalls on Lê Duẩn and Thụy Khuê streets.
These three stalls selling sticky rice cakes are quite small in size, especially the one on Lê Duẩn street, which has an area of less than 2m², accommodating just enough space for the clay pot containing the sticky rice cakes, a small table for display, yet from 5 am to 11 pm every day, the stalls are always bustling with customers. In the mornings, the staff here hardly have time to rest as they rush to pack cakes for eager customers, with even motorbike riders lining up patiently to purchase cakes.
The sticky rice cakes here are stored in large clay pots and covered with thick white cloth to retain warmth. The pot emits billows of fragrant smoke, accompanied by a distinct aroma that makes everyone stop in admiration.
It's known that one of these clay pots can hold up to 200 sticky rice cakes, and in just about an hour from 8 am to 9 am, the pot brimming with sticky rice cakes is completely sold out.
Mrs. Lan's sticky rice cakes are made from carefully selected glutinous rice, filled with a rich green bean and khúc leaf filling, offering a soft, fragrant taste with a hint of pepper. Moreover, the combination of green beans and lard provides a rich flavor without being overwhelming.
Perhaps what defines the excellence of the 'bánh khúc' brand here is the meticulous attention to keeping it warm and the quality of the filling. The sticky rice is always kept warm, tender, distinct in each grain, while the filling of salty-sweet mung bean with a hint of pepper offers a satisfying texture.
Inside, the filling consists of a piece of meat, half lean and half fat, exceptionally delicious without any unpleasant odor. Undoubtedly, many diners who enjoy rich flavors will appreciate the filling here, as the pork belly contains more fat, which, when cooked amidst glutinous rice, mung beans, khúc leaves... doesn't become overly greasy.
Especially noteworthy is the combination of the three layers of the cake, green beans, and meat wrapped neatly in a banana leaf that has made this 'bánh khúc' the most renowned in Hanoi.
Thousands of 'bánh khúc' sold daily
According to Ms. Nguyễn Thị Lan (59 years old, Hanoi), to create this famous 'bánh khúc', she has dedicatedly preserved and developed it for the past 30 years, starting from her mother's legacy. Her mother passed down the experience of making 'bánh khúc' since the 1960s.
'I sell 'bánh khúc' because people love it, it's a dish steeped in tradition. Despite the hard work, this dish is very wholesome. At just 13,000 VND, everyone can enjoy it, from laborers to government officials.
I remember, there were five elderly folks who used to go for snacks together every afternoon. One of them told me, 'Ma'am, you're bringing Hanoi back to life in us,' which made me fond of and devoted to this dish so that every bite of 'bánh khúc' would evoke beautiful memories, a snack of Hanoi,' Ms. Lan shared.
Ms. Lan also remembers her first venture on Nguyễn Công Trứ street where she only sold 50-70 pieces a day and spent many sleepless nights figuring out how to make the 'bánh khúc' even better. Now, from one establishment, she has expanded to three, making thousands of cakes every day to serve everyone.
All the ingredients and processes for making 'bánh khúc' are concentrated at the Nguyễn Công Trứ establishment. Here, dozens of staff members handle various stages from washing, drying, and cleaning banana leaves to sorting, cleaning pork before slicing and marinating with pepper to make the cakes. Despite nearing 60 years old, Ms. Lan still participates in the production and sales process. Every day, she wakes up at 3 am to make and sell cakes.
'Making 'bánh khúc' is difficult because it uses relatively clean food, without preservatives. Especially making mung bean filling is the most challenging, as it can turn sour in hot weather, so it requires multiple processing and refrigeration steps.
Cooking the rice requires skill too; being careless can ruin the pot of sticky rice because the cooking time varies depending on whether the rice is old or new.
'Not every type of fat meat can be used; you have to select the fat meat from the top of the pork's head. They sell this type of meat separately in the supermarket, so I buy it there,' shared Mrs. Lan.
Currently, a serving of 'bánh khúc' costs 13,000 VND. People can also enjoy it with 'chả', which is quite delicious. A serving of 'bánh khúc' with 'chả' costs 20,000 VND. Mrs. Lan's shop is open from 5 am to 11 pm every day.
According to Hồng Nhung/ eva.vn
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Reference: Travel guide Mytour
MytourOctober 25, 2019
