Discover how to have a pot of "authentic" Tet banh chung of Nghe An people
(Baonghean.vn) - Banh chung is an indispensable dish in the traditional Tet tray of Vietnamese people. A delicious banh chung must be attractive from taste to beautiful color. However, to have green and delicious banh chung "properly" requires a secret. Let's discover how to have a pot of delicious banh chung, with the right Tet flavor in a banh chung craft village in Nghe An.
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| The first secret to help you boil green and delicious banh chung is how to choose dong leaves. You should choose dong leaves that are not too big or too small. Dong leaves that are not too young or too old. The leaves should look shiny, dark green, and have small stems. When you choose the dong leaves you like, wash them and dry them in a well-ventilated place. Do not dry them too much, just drain the water. |
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| Sticky rice to make delicious banh chung must be the seasonal sticky rice or golden flower sticky rice, the grains are shiny and even. Soak the rice for about 10 - 12 hours in cold water, then rinse, drain and sprinkle with a moderate amount of white salt for a richer flavor. If you want the sticky rice to be green and more fragrant, you can use crushed pandan leaves to get the green juice to soak the sticky rice. |
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| The binding strips are separated from 70-90 cm long bamboo segments, the outer skin is scraped off, then split into equal pieces. The bamboo tubes should be soaked before splitting to make them soft, and when split into strips, they should be dried so that when wrapping the cake, they will be firm, soft and easy to tie. Choosing bamboo strips will help the banh chung to be tied soft and firm, which is also the secret to wrapping delicious banh chung that you need to know. |
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| To make delicious banh chung, meat and dried onions are indispensable. Peel the dried onions and chop them finely. Grind the pepper yourself or buy it at the market. The filling is pork with both lean and fat (usually pork belly). The fat makes the cake rich, symbolizing the strength of the homeowner; the red lean meat brings joy for the new year. Cut the meat into large, even pieces, season with just enough spices, sprinkle a little pepper to add a strong flavor, and especially after the cake is cooked, it will have a fragrant smell and a light spicy taste. |
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| Once the ingredients are prepared, it is time to wrap the cake. Experienced people wrap it by hand or in a mold. One cake requires about 5-6 dong leaves, and the rice and filling depend on the size of the cake. The wrapped cake must be tight, square, even, and beautiful. |
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| Boiling banh chung is the most important step because boiling banh chung takes a lot of time and effort. When boiling, remember to press the cake tightly to avoid breaking it because the cake expands when boiling. The cake is boiled continuously for 6 hours, then wait for the coals to die out, the water to cool slowly so that the cake is cooked evenly from the inside out. If you take the cake out when the water is still hot, the cake's crust will be "burned" and the cake will not be green. |
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| After taking the cakes out, wash them, arrange them in layers, and use a heavy object to squeeze out all the water from the corners (banh chung) and the two ends (banh tay). This will keep the cakes from turning sour and keep them for a long time. |
