Banh man de - An Giang specialty that not everyone knows

Banh man de is a unique specialty that tourists can easily find at Chau Doc market, An Giang .

The West is famous for many unique cakes that are loved by tourists from all over the world such as banh khot, banh chuoi, banh it, banh cong... However, there is a cake that has existed for decades but not all tourists know about it, which is banh man de, or Chau Doc banh de.

Banh man de originated from Cambodia and was introduced to Vietnam many years ago. Previously, this cake was sold quite commonly in the markets of the Western region. In Ho Chi Minh City today, it is very difficult for customers to find and buy Banh man de.

A street vendor selling banh man de at Chau Doc market, An Giang. Photo: Street Food Thao Vy

When first heard, diners may associate banh man de with the meaning of eating sparingly, or making sparingly little by little. In fact, the name simply refers to the ingredients of the cake. Unlike many Western cakes that are usually made from wheat flour, sticky rice flour or rice flour, banh man de is made from the powder of the De tree, which only grows in Cambodia. That is why the baker must find an acquaintance to be able to import the powder of the De tree to make the cake.

Nowadays, the cassia tree in Cambodia is also very rare, so finding the flour has become more difficult, this rustic cake is not sold as popularly as before. The cake shell is made from cassia tree flour, wrapped in a filling of mashed green beans.

Banh man de has a slightly transparent crust. Photo: Street Food Thao Vy

One of the reasons why banh man de has become a "rare delicacy" is because of the elaborate preparation. First, the baker will simmer the mung beans, mash them, then simmer them until they dry into a block. The bean filling must be soft and not too dry to meet the standard.

Next, for the crust, people mix the cassava flour with water, add a little palm sugar to create a sweet taste. After stirring the flour well, people put it on the stove to simmer and stir constantly until it becomes clear.

Finally, the baker puts a layer of flour into the bowl, adds a slice of mung bean in the middle and then covers it with another layer of flour. After a few hours, the cake will solidify and can be easily removed from the bowl. In addition to the yellow color from palm sugar, some people also add green color from pandan leaves, purple color from purple leaves...

Each finished cake is neat and plump, looking extremely pleasing to the eye. When eating, you will pour coconut milk over the cake and sprinkle with fragrant roasted sesame. The cake crust is crunchy like jelly, the bean filling is fatty and has a refreshing and easy-to-eat taste. This is definitely a great cooling dish for hot days.

Rich coconut milk makes banh man de more appealing. Photo: Street Food Thao Vy

The cake is made from hard-to-find ingredients, the whole process is handmade but it is sold for only a few thousand dong each. In the whole Chau Doc market, there is only one stall selling banh man de, so the cake sells out very quickly. This is considered a rare address that still sells this type of cake in the West.

In addition, in Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can find a cart selling banh man de near Long Van Pagoda, Hung Phu Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City. The characteristic of this cart is that it uses pandan leaves, so the dough has a more opaque green color. This address only sells banh man de on weekends, with limited quantity.

Laodong.vn