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 type of cake that has existed for decades but not all tourists know about, which is banh man de, or banh de Chau Doc.

Banh man de originated from Cambodia and was introduced to Vietnam many years ago. In the past, 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 Banh man de.

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

At first hearing the name, diners may associate banh man de with the meaning of eating sparingly, or making sparingly. In fact, the name is simply referred 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. Therefore, 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, and this rustic cake is not as popular as before. The cake shell is made from cassia tree flour, wrapped in a filling of pureed mung 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 commodity" 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 supple, not too dry to meet the standard.

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

Finally, the baker puts a layer of flour in the bowl, adds a slice of mung bean in the middle and 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 create 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 seeds. The cake crust is crunchy like jelly, the bean filling is fatty and has a refreshing taste that is easy to eat. 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, and is made entirely by hand, but is sold for only a few thousand dong each. There is only one stall selling banh man de in Chau Doc market, so the cakes sell out very quickly. This is considered a rare place 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