A ''bánh bèo'' is a
Vietnamese dish
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...
that is originated from
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Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
, a city in Central Vietnam. The English translation for this dish is
water fern Water fern is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
* Salviniales, an order of aquatic ferns
* '' Austroblechnum lanceolatum'', syn. ''Blechnum chambersii'', lance water fern
* '' Austroblechnum patersonii'', syn. ''Blechnum patersonii' ...
cakes. Bánh bèo is made from a combination of rice flour and tapioca flour. It is popular street food in Vietnam. The ingredients include rice cake, dried shrimps, crispy pork skin, scallion oil, and dipping sauce. It is usually eaten as a snack but is now considered a dish in restaurants and can be eaten as lunch and dinner.
Methods of eating Banh Beo
Banh beo is usually accompanied by nuoc mam (a clear sauce made from sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and Thai chili) and crunchy pork belly strips that enhance the taste of the dish.
Like most dishes, there are various versions of
banh beo around Vietnam. For example, banh beo from Quang Ngai is topped with a combination of shrimp and pork paste instead. Banh beo from the South side of Vietnam is eaten with mashed mung bean as topping, making it sweeter than the banh beo from Hue or Quang Ngai because that was how Southerners in Vietnam prefer it.
Most often, banh beo are served in individual small dishes and eaten whole after scraping out of the dish with a spoon. Another way to eat this dish is to use a chopstick to nudge the banh beo off the circular dish.
It is often paired with beverages such as green or black tea, or Vietnamese iced coffee. It is best eaten when fresh to avoid the dish being spoiled.
Etymology
The dish's name is believed to derive from the fact that it is shaped like a
duckweed
Lemnoideae is a subfamily of flowering aquatic plants, known as duckweeds, water lentils, or water lenses. They float on or just beneath the surface of still or slow-moving bodies of fresh water and wetlands. Also known as bayroot, they arose ...
(''bèo'' in Vietnamese). ''
Bánh
In Vietnamese, the term ''bánh'' ( or , Chữ Nôm: 餅) translates loosely as "cake" or "bread", but refers to a wide variety of prepared foods that can easily be eaten by hands or chopsticks. With the addition of qualifying adjectives, ''b ...
'' is a Vietnamese term translating loosely as "cake."
In modern Vietnamese culture, ''bánh bèo'' is slang for girls who are portrayed as overly feminine, weak-willed, and high maintenance (because of its soft, rubbery texture).
See also
*
Chwee kueh
''Chwee kueh'' (), also spelt ''chwee kwee'' or ''chwee kweh,'' is a type of steamed rice cake originating in Teochew cuisine that is served with preserved radish.
History
During the 19th century, many Teochew people moved to Singapore, bringing ...
*
Bánh
In Vietnamese, the term ''bánh'' ( or , Chữ Nôm: 餅) translates loosely as "cake" or "bread", but refers to a wide variety of prepared foods that can easily be eaten by hands or chopsticks. With the addition of qualifying adjectives, ''b ...
*
List of steamed foods
This is a list of steamed foods and dishes that are typically or commonly prepared by the cooking method of steaming.
Steamed foods
* Ada – a food item from Kerala, usually made of rice flour with sweet filling inside.
* Bánh – in Hanoi ...
References
Vietnamese rice dishes
Culture in Huế
Steamed foods
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