Editor's note: The famous delicious Banh Te of Son Tay is considered to have originated from Phu Nhi village. Banh Te Phu Nhi is not only a product of Son Tay, Hanoi but has become a famous brand in Vietnam, known to tourists from all over the world. In 2007, Phu Nhi was recognized as a traditional Banh Te craft village. To make delicious banh te, Phu Nhi people have to be very meticulous and elaborate from the steps of selecting rice, soaking rice, grinding flour, making filling to wrapping and steaming the cake. Not only is it a rustic gift from the countryside, banh te also carries humane stories and concerns of the people who make it. The series: Banh te Phu Nhi, untold stories will introduce readers to this dish. |
Tourists from all over the country who come to the land of Xu Doai to visit Mia Pagoda, Va Temple, Duong Lam ancient village... and try the local specialty Banh Te, all want to buy more as gifts: "When you come to Son Tay, don't forget to buy Phu Nhi Banh Te as gifts, it's delicious and very special."
Specialties of Xu Doai
When it comes to banh te, food lovers all know about Phu Nhi banh te (Phu Thinh, Son Tay, Hanoi) which is famous for its delicious and rich flavor. Anyone who eats it once will remember it forever because of the harmony of meat, wood ear, and pepper wrapped in a layer of fine rice flour with the fragrant smell of banana leaves and dong leaves.
Phu Nhi rice cake has its own characteristics, completely different from other regions. The cake is made meticulously and carefully from the stage of choosing ingredients to the processing. The most noticeable difference in Phu Nhi rice cake is that the meat and wood ear are cut into long strips, not ground or chopped like in other places.
The rice chosen to make the cake is usually old Khang Dan rice so that it is not sticky, then soaked for many hours, then ground into a liquid dough. The liquid dough is soaked for many hours and the water is drained, the fine dough is taken and then mixed into flour to make the cake. The meat and wood ear filling must also be of good quality, clean, chopped and stir-fried, seasoned with the right spices to taste and bring out the aroma. In addition to dong leaves, dried banana leaves are used to wrap the outside to bring out the aroma.
Nowadays, Phu Nhi rice cake is famous not only in Hanoi but also known by many people in other provinces. Every time they come to Phu Nhi, people consider this a valuable gift from the countryside to bring back as gifts. The cake is simple but the steps of making it are extremely meticulous and careful. After being completed, the cake is put in the oven to steam for 60 minutes before being taken out to enjoy.
Ms. Pham Thi Binh (born in 1956), a long-time banh te maker in Phu Nhi, said that the cake is best eaten when it has just been taken out. Peeling off the outer layer reveals the white dough filling, the aroma of meat, wood ear, and pepper is very fragrant and appealing. When eating, people can use a small knife to cut the cake into pieces or use a spoon to enjoy. Depending on taste, some people choose to eat it with chili sauce, others eat it with sausage, and dip it in fish sauce for more flavor.
In 2007, Phu Nhi was recognized as a traditional rice cake production village. In 2010, Phu Nhi rice cake was granted a certificate of recognition as a brand name by the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Culinary expert Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung once mentioned Phu Nhi's banh te in the book "Specialties from all directions", in the story of being invited to eat authentic banh te, delicious and different from "market" cakes. In the book, the author wrote:
“Seeing everyone in the office excitedly registering to visit Mia Pagoda and Va Temple, Ms. Lan kept reminding: Remember to buy a few dozen banh te as gifts. They are the best.
Hearing that, Ms. Thanh sitting at the next table pouted: What a precious rice cake, it's both hard and sour. The pistil has no meat. Every day people sell it on the street, I tried it once and I'll avoid it for the rest of my life.
Ms. Minh, the oldest person in the room, laughed in agreement: Thanh is still young and doesn't have the experience of Ms. Lan. Banh te, especially Son Tay banh te, especially Den Va banh te, is so delicious, after eating one you want to eat two.
Half-believing, half-doubting, but also a foodie, Ms. Thanh asked the children in her room to buy her a dozen Banh Te from Den Va while they were on a tour. The next day, when she received the cakes, Ms. Thanh praised them after just one taste. It was a type of cake wrapped in dried banana leaves, long and oblong like a piece of purple sugarcane.
Ms. Nhung said that at that time, she still did not know which village or commune Son Tay banh te originated from. Until the early 21st century, a young reporter from Son Tay who came to intern at the same agency said that Phu Nhi village was the origin of this Son Tay banh te specialty.
As a veteran in writing and researching Hanoi cuisine, expert Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung commented: “Phu Nhi rice cake is very pure, completely different from rice cake in some other places. The smell of Phu Nhi rice cake is completely rice flour, without any mixing.
I have eaten many types of banh te, and I think that the banh te in Phu Nhi is unique and delicious not only because of the filling but also because the cake is wrapped in dried banana leaves. The smell of dried banana leaves mixed with the smell of rice flour creates a special aroma that can only be found in Phu Nhi. So every time I have the opportunity to visit Phu Nhi, I conveniently buy some as gifts.
The dish started from a sad love story
Despite its fame, few people know the origin of Phu Nhi rice cake. Villagers tell each other a legend that is said to have been passed down from generation to generation.
According to Mr. Kieu Huan (86 years old), since birth, he has heard his parents tell the story of the rice cake of his hometown. He also tells this story to the younger generation.
The name "Phu Nhi" is a combination of the names of the young man Nguyen Phu and the girl Hoang Nhi. Nguyen Phu was from Giap Doai village, the son of Mrs. Trong who sold betel leaves, and his father was a farmer. Hoang Nhi was the daughter of Mrs. Huong who made rice cakes and sold them at the market. Phu and Nhi knew each other through the markets and then fell in love.
One time, Phu went to Nhi's house to chat. The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they forgot about the pot of banh duc that was half-cooked on the stove. When they opened it, it was too late; the banh duc was half-cooked. Hoang Nhi's father angrily chased Phu away, not allowing the young couple to continue seeing each other.
Phu regretted the pot of banh duc so he brought it home, added wood ear mushrooms and lean meat, then went to the garden to get dong leaves and dried banana leaves to wrap them and boil them. When the cake was cooked, the aroma wafted in the air, and it was delicious whether eaten hot or cold.
Forbidden by his father, Nhi fell ill with love, became ill and died. Phu did not marry, remaining devoted to his lover. Every year on Nhi's death anniversary, Phu brought cakes to worship. Later, Phu passed on the secret of making cakes to the villagers.
Phu Nhi rice cake was born from that sad love story.
Nowadays, Phu Nhi people pass down this story and consider it the legend of the birth of Phu Nhi rice cake.
As a son of the village, at the age of 86, Mr. Huan witnessed many ups and downs of his hometown, and is extremely proud when mentioning his hometown's specialty, Banh Te.
He said that people were very creative when making banh te because "rice is the mother", eating rice will not make you bored or impatient.
The village currently has 32 households working in the craft. On holidays and Tet, the hands are nimble and the stoves are always red hot to produce fragrant cakes to serve everyone's needs.
“Eating banh te is eating materially, but it must also be eating spiritually to be delicious,” said Mr. Huan. Because according to him, it is not only a delicious hometown dish made from rice flour, meat, and wood ear mushrooms, but it also contains the quintessence of the homeland, containing the pride of the place where he was born and raised.
For him, there is nothing more precious than having his hometown's food known throughout the country. So wherever he goes, he still finds that only his hometown's banh te, made by his hometown people, is the best.
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