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
Hi my friend! I want to say that this post is amazing, nice written and include approximately all important infos. I’d like to see more posts like this.
1Excellent web site. Plenty of useful info here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks for your sweat!
2Прозрачное взаимодействие бизнеса и GR даёт возможность поддерживать конструктивный диалог с государственными органами и согласовывать позиции сторон. Этот формат уменьшает отраслевые риски и укрепляет предсказуемость предпринимательской деятельности при работе с регуляторами. https://www.google.com.cu/url?q=https3A2F2Fb8.chenews.ru2FECjKI762VupO2F
3Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog. You have some really great articles and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please send me an e-mail if interested. Thanks!
4I really appreciate you for sharing such great information. I love your blog. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on your article. I hope additional interesting updates from you in the coming days.
5주소콘에서 필요한 사이트를 분야별로 살펴보세요. 뉴스, 커뮤니티, 영상, 웹툰, 쇼핑, 생활 정보와 온라인 도구를 찾는 방법부터 주소 확인, 즐겨찾기 관리, 접속 오류 해결까지 안내합니다. 목적에 맞는 링크를 고르고 더 편리하게 이용하세요.
6Great post, you have pointed out some good details , I besides conceive this s a very superb website.
7An impressive share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more details? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this blog post!
8Dead composed written content, thanks for selective information. “No human thing is of serious importance.” by Plato.
9Bezpečné hraní je zásadový rámec k i-gamingu jenž upřednostňuje bezpečnost a blaho hráče. Učí hráče aby si nastavili jasné hranice na čas a dělali si pravidelné pauzy od sázení. casino wazamba Také zvyšuje otevřenost a umožňuje dospělým rozpoznat varovné signály nadměrného hraní a sázení a když je to zapotřebí vyhledat pomoc. Cílem odpovědného online hraní je zajistit aby sázení setrvalo příjemnou zábavou v rámci uživatelových možností a kontroly a nestalo se příčinou škody.
10주소콘에서 필요한 사이트를 분야별로 살펴보세요. 뉴스, 커뮤니티, 영상, 웹툰, 쇼핑, 생활 정보와 온라인 도구를 찾는 방법부터 주소 확인, 즐겨찾기 관리, 접속 오류 해결까지 안내합니다. 목적에 맞는 링크를 고르고 더 편리하게 이용하세요.
11Hello I am so happy I found your webpage, I really found you by accident, while I was researching on Yahoo for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a remarkable post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the excellent work.
12It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this put up and if I may just I desire to counsel you some attention-grabbing issues or suggestions. Maybe you can write subsequent articles relating to this article. I want to learn even more things about it!
13F*ckin’ amazing issues here. I’m very glad to look your post. Thanks so much and i’m having a look forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?
14Generally I don’t read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice post.
15certainly like your web site but you have to check the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the truth nevertheless I’ll definitely come back again.
16주소콘에서 필요한 웹사이트 주소를 쉽고 빠르게 찾아보세요. 분야별 주소모음과 링크모음, 주소찾기 방법부터 변경된 주소 확인, 안전한 링크 확인 방법까지 한눈에 살펴볼 수 있습니다.
17주소콘에서 필요한 웹사이트 주소를 쉽고 빠르게 찾아보세요. 분야별 주소모음과 링크모음, 주소찾기 방법부터 변경된 주소 확인, 안전한 링크 확인 방법까지 한눈에 살펴볼 수 있습니다.
18I was recommended this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my problem. You are incredible! Thanks!
19Thank you for sharing such great content. I truly enjoy your web page. Thanks again for letting me share my thoughts on your blog post. I hope additional interesting updates from you in the near future.
20I have been browsing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before.
21Wonderful work! This is the type of info that should be shared around the web. Shame on the search engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and visit my web site . Thanks =)
22Utterly pent content, Really enjoyed studying.
23주소콘은 자주 찾는 사이트의 최신주소와 변경된 주소를 카테고리별로 정리한 주소모음·링크모음 플랫폼입니다. 실시간으로 업데이트되는 바로가기 링크로 원하는 사이트에 빠르게 접속하세요.
24With every little thing which seems to be building within this particular area, a significant percentage of opinions tend to be relatively radical. Even so, I beg your pardon, but I do not subscribe to your whole plan, all be it radical none the less. It looks to me that your comments are actually not completely validated and in simple fact you are your self not fully convinced of your argument. In any event I did take pleasure in examining it.
25F*ckin’ awesome things here. I am very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i’m looking forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
26A large percentage of of what you articulate happens to be supprisingly legitimate and that makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this with this light before. This particular article truly did switch the light on for me as far as this specific issue goes. Nonetheless there is one particular factor I am not really too comfy with and whilst I attempt to reconcile that with the actual core theme of the issue, permit me see just what the rest of your subscribers have to say.Very well done.
27I always was concerned in this subject and still am, thanks for posting.
28Absolutely indited written content, Really enjoyed reading.
29I really appreciate you for publishing such wonderful content. I truly enjoy your blog. Many thanks for providing a space for me to comment on your article. I would love to see additional interesting updates from you in the near future.
30Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.
31Some genuinely marvelous work on behalf of the owner of this site, perfectly outstanding content.
32Hello! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog post or vice-versa? My site covers a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to send me an e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you! Fantastic blog by the way!
33I really appreciate you for sharing this wonderful article. I love your website. Many thanks for giving me the opportunity to comment on your blog post. I hope additional interesting updates from you in the near future.
34Its like you learn my thoughts! You appear to understand a lot about this, like you wrote the e book in it or something. I believe that you just can do with a few to pressure the message house a little bit, however instead of that, that is great blog. A great read. I will definitely be back.
35Nice post. I learn one thing more difficult on completely different blogs everyday. It’s going to all the time be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and follow a bit of one thing from their store. I’d want to use some with the content material on my weblog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll provide you with a link on your net blog. Thanks for sharing.
36I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this site. Thanks, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
37hi!,I like your writing very a lot! percentage we be in contact extra about your article on AOL? I need an expert on this space to unravel my problem. May be that is you! Looking forward to look you.
38I want to get across my affection for your kind-heartedness for women who actually need assistance with this particular subject matter. Your very own commitment to passing the solution all through had become exceedingly good and have in every case allowed those much like me to arrive at their dreams. Your entire warm and friendly guide signifies a whole lot a person like me and further more to my mates. Thanks a lot; from each one of us.
39Hi there, I discovered your site by the use of Google at the same time as searching for a similar matter, your website came up, it seems to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
40Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
41Neat blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your theme. Appreciate it
42This design is incredible! You obviously know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
43This is a very good tips especially to those new to blogosphere, brief and accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article.
44Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for! “If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.” by Rotarian.
45wonderful submit, very informative. I ponder why the other specialists of this sector do not realize this. You must continue your writing. I’m sure, you’ve a great readers’ base already!
46Exactly what I was looking for, thankyou for posting.
47Hey there would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with? I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!
48You could certainly see your enthusiasm within the paintings you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. At all times go after your heart.
49Keep up the wonderful piece of work, I read few blog posts on this internet site and I conceive that your web blog is rattling interesting and contains circles of superb info .
50