Banh tet, sweet and savory
Bánh chưng and bánh tét to the Vietnamese Tết are like turkey and ham to the American Thanksgiving. The holiday feast just wouldn’t feel right without them. Although I have blogged about these sticky rice squares and logs before, the lunar new year has come back, and so are they. Sticky rice can be uberfilling in large quantity, and like all festive food, it’s not recommended that you feast on these dense beasts day after day, as satisfaction would turn into tiresomeness. But once a year, or maybe twice, a couple slices of banh tet sound so much more interesting than cereal, rice, even noodle soup.
Banh chung and banh tet have rather similar ingredients, especially when they’re made by Vietnamese Southerners. Both are wrapped in leaves (although slightly different kinds of leaves), and boiled for hours in water that is sometimes spiced with lemongrass. After cooking, a heavy weight is put on banh chung to drain the water, while banh tet are rolled around to perfect the cylindrical shape. I remember we used to hang pairs of banh tet in my grandfather’s kitchen, taking one down everyday during the week of Tet to whip out a nice settling meal with thịt kho trứng (pork and egg stew), dưa giá (pickled bean sprout), and spring rolls. There are the savory kind with meat and mung bean paste, and the vegan kind for those who want to practice self-control on the first day of Tet. In Houston, my mom usually gets the savory kind from Giò Chả Đức Hương, where we also get our cha lua supply, and the vegan kind from Linh Son pagoda. I branched out this year and tried a meaty log from Huong Lan Sandwiches 4 in Milpitas.
Their banh tet measures about 7 inches long, making eight thick nice slices, each has a chunk of fatty pork in the middle, pink and spiced with pepper. The sticky rice coat here gave its leaf wrapping a bit insecure sliminess when we first unraveled, but all was well. The banh tet smelled great, the sticky rice has a tight but soft texture. The seasoned bean paste is just salty enough to intrigue. In some way, banh tet is better than banh chung because every bite guarantees a bit of everything. No piece will miss the meat completely and no bite will get all the meat, the stuffing is even throughout the whole banh. It was honestly good by itself without condiments. Huong Lan Sandwiches had not failed me.
And neither did Thao Tien. When we got there last week in our quail quest, Thao Tien’s employees were busy running a small table pyramidized with banh chung and banh tet. They locate nicely in front of the Grand Century mall, passed by hundreds of people Tet shopping that day. Seeing the sale went like hot cakes (the sticky rice cakes were actually still warm), we were too eager to snatch one home that we forgot to check the tiny white sticker on the side. Surprise, we had grabbed a bánh tét chuối (banana banh tet).
It’s solely vegan. The sticky rice coat is made interesting with dots of black beans on shiny green background. The core is sweet, mushy banana in a reddish purple hue. This is just the usual ivory banana that always ripe too soon, but somehow slow cooking in a compact block of sticky rice wrapped by banana leaves makes the fruit change color. Chemical reactions? It still tastes sweet, with a hint of bitter (for lack of a better word) like a guava skin. And it looks beautiful to me.
The banana banh tet also goes well with my rotisserie chicken from Safeway, minus the guilt of defeating the whole vegan purpose thing. Thao Tien’s logs are also shamelessly long, almost two times bigger than Huong Lan’s. I will be eating banh tet every day for the rest of the week. Happy Tết to bánh tét and me!
Address: Hương Lan Sandwiches 4
41 Serra Way, Ste. 108
Milpitas, CA 95035
1 bánh tét with meat: $6
Thảo Tiên restaurant
Grand Century Mall
1111 Story Road #1080
San Jose, CA 95122
1 vegan banana bánh tét: $10
I don’t even know the way I ended up here, however I thought this publish was good. I don’t know who you might be but certainly you are going to a well-known blogger when you are not already 😉 Cheers!
1I have read some good stuff here. Definitely worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you put to make this sort of great informative website.
2Superb site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get responses from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!
3Some truly tremendous work on behalf of the owner of this web site, absolutely outstanding content.
4Thanks for your own hard work on this web site. Kate really loves carrying out internet research and it’s simple to grasp why. My spouse and i learn all regarding the lively way you make very helpful information on the web blog and recommend response from others on this concept and my daughter is now discovering a great deal. Enjoy the remaining portion of the year. You are carrying out a terrific job.
5Great line up. We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
6I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this web site. Thank you, I’ll try and check back more frequently. How frequently you update your site?
7Hello there, I discovered your website by the use of Google whilst searching for a related topic, your web site came up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
8I found your blog web site on google and check just a few of your early posts. Proceed to keep up the very good operate. I simply further up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Seeking ahead to studying extra from you in a while!…
9Real fantastic info can be found on weblog. “Time discovers truth.” by Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
10Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say excellent blog!
11Really instructive and wonderful complex body part of content, now that’s user genial (:.
12Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this website. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and appearance. I must say that you’ve done a amazing job with this. Additionally, the blog loads super fast for me on Opera. Exceptional Blog!
13Hello there, You have done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.
14I enjoy your writing style truly loving this web site.
15Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will definitely return.
16whoah this blog is wonderful i love reading your articles. Keep up the great work! You know, lots of people are hunting around for this info, you can aid them greatly.
17Great goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you are just too great. I really like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible. I can not wait to read much more from you. This is really a wonderful site.
18Good write-up, I’m normal visitor of one’s web site, maintain up the nice operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
19I’m very happy to read this. This is the type of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that is at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.
20With almost everything that seems to be developing throughout this subject matter, a significant percentage of perspectives are very exciting. Nonetheless, I beg your pardon, but I do not give credence to your entire theory, all be it exhilarating none the less. It appears to me that your comments are actually not completely justified and in fact you are yourself not wholly convinced of the argument. In any case I did enjoy reading it.
21I’m still learning from you, as I’m trying to achieve my goals. I absolutely enjoy reading all that is written on your blog.Keep the stories coming. I liked it!
22Somebody essentially help to make seriously articles I would state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and thus far? I amazed with the research you made to make this particular publish extraordinary. Excellent job!
23Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
24Lovely just what I was searching for.Thanks to the author for taking his clock time on this one.
25I really lucky to find this web site on bing, just what I was searching for : D likewise saved to fav.
26I consider something genuinely special in this site.
27magnificent post, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not notice this. You must continue your writing. I’m sure, you have a great readers’ base already!
28I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your blog. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Exceptional work!
29I like what you guys are up also. Such smart work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it will improve the value of my site 🙂
30I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my difficulty. You are wonderful! Thanks!
31Thankyou for this post, I am a big big fan of this site would like to proceed updated.
32I was reading through some of your blog posts on this website and I think this web site is really informative ! Retain putting up.
33Fantastic website. Plenty of useful information here. I am sending it to a few buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you for your sweat!
34You have noted very interesting details! ps nice site.
35I have not checked in here for a while as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
36I think you have remarked some very interesting details , regards for the post.
37Outstanding post, you have pointed out some superb points, I too believe this s a very superb website.
38I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again
39Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your web site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this site. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a great web-site.
40Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with SEO? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Many thanks!
41My brother suggested I might like this blog. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
42Hello, Neat post. There is an issue with your web site in internet explorer, may check this?K IE still is the marketplace leader and a big section of folks will pass over your magnificent writing due to this problem.
43I got what you intend, thankyou for putting up.Woh I am glad to find this website through google. “Food is the most primitive form of comfort.” by Sheila Graham.
44Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thank you for your provided information.
45I saw a lot of website but I think this one has something special in it in it
46Hi , I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbled upon it on Yahoo , i will come back once again. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and help other people.
47Thank you, I have just been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I have discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you sure about the source?
48I regard something genuinely special in this site.
49I’ll immediately grasp your rss feed as I can not to find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Please let me know so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
50