Sandwich shop goodies 3 – Bánh ú tro (Vietnamese-adapted jianshui zong)
It’s been two weeks, but better late than never. After I read Jessica’s zong zi post on Food Mayhem, images of amber tedrahedra just wouldn’t leave me alone. I talked to my mom about them, and I could hear her voice crackle with sweet memories over the phone. We haven’t had these sweet little things for years. We used to eat them by the dozens every lunar May. Like most Saigonese, we didn’t do anything huge to celebrate Tet Doan Ngo, but bánh ú tro was too scrumptious a tradition to pass.
Each pyramid is just a little over an inch tall, whichever way you roll it. It’s unclear whether the traditional zongzi grew smaller when Chinese immigrants share the recipe with their Vietnamese neighbors, or only the dessert zongzi (jianshui zong) is favored by the locals over savory types. Most Vietnamese have also long dissociated this sticky rice snack with the Chinese reason behind Duanwu festival, if not to assign the Fifth of Lunar May to commemorate the death anniversary of Vietnam’s legendary Mother Âu Cơ, kill off bad bugs, make ceremonial offerings to family ancestors, or simply bathe in the summer solstice’s endless sunlight. Whatever meaning someone chooses to celebrate (or not celebrate) Duanwu (Đoan Ngọ in the Vietnamese language), he can enjoy bánh ú tro all the same. And if he lives in Hội An, there’s a big chance he actually participates in making them too.
The people of Hoi An don’t make a living with bánh ú tro year round, but they keep the tradition with earnest. Within four days, 1st-4th of lunar May, everybody makes bánh ú tro. The fifth day, everybody eats bánh ú tro. The sixth day, things get back to normal. In Saigon’s markets, bánh ú tro start showing up a week or two before the Fifth, and disappear right after, my mom recalled. So when I told her that I was going to search for them after I read Jessica’s post, she said “fat chance”.
Why such rarity? After all, bánh bía, also adapted from the Chinese and also originally made just for one specific festival, shines its face all year long in every bakery and sandwich shop these days. Well, the recipe for bánh ú tro turns out to be real hard, and it’s not just the wrapping stage. The best bánh ú tro, according to Hoi An banh makers, must be wrapped with “kè” leaves from the mountains of Huế. The cleanly washed sticky rice is soaked in sesame ash water overnight (sesame plant burnt into ashes, mixed with water and sifted through sand). The ash water turns sticky rice grains into semi-powder form, giving bánh ú tro a clear amber look and a strangely light texture, unlike any other sticky rice concoctions. No wonder “ash” (tro) is part of the banh’s definitive name. (If you look at jianshui zong recipes, you’ll find lye water or alkaline water listed. More correct terms perhaps, but the horrid image on Wikipedia’s page on lye takes away my appetite. “Ash” even has a romantic ring to it, and this banh is made for a poet after all.) A bit of alum is put in the ash water to somehow keep each banh from falling apart.
Now of course sesame plants aren’t growing in everyone’s backyard to burn, so just any coal ash would do, as long as you sift the ash water carefully to avoid big pieces of charcoal in your sticky rice. Some different source suggests ash from mangrove firewood, dissolved in water for a month, but it seems to be just another grandmother’s special recipe varying by the regions. After soaking the rice for 1-3 nights, take it out and wash with cold water again.
The wrapping leaves, too, vary from place to place. Kè leaf is obviously not the most popular, as bamboo leaf and reed leaf, in their slender shape and earthy fragrance, do the job just as well. Banana leaves can be cut into wide strips to imitate bamboo leaves. Skilled banh makers can also control the colors: older leaves give darker hues, substituting ash with white lime paste(*) lets bánh ú tro have the natural green shades from the leaves, while red lime paste causes a reddish amber shine.
Nonetheless, there exists a common wisdom regardless of ingredients: burn an incense stick when you drop the banh into water for boiling, when the incense burns out, the banh is done. Usually that takes four hours.
Let cool, bánh ú tro is more firm than chewy. There you can still see silhouettes of individual grains on the outside, but each banh is a solid tedrahedron of defined edges and uniform texture. It unwraps easily, parallel thread marks of bamboo leaf veins imprint on the smooth and fulfilling surfaces. It’s hardly sticky, unlike bánh ít and bánh dầy (also made from sticky rice). And it’s light. The banh’s are tied together in bundles of ten, and I can eat all ten in one sitting. (I can hardly finish one bánh ít in one sitting.) Funny, “ít” means “small in quantity”, and “ú” means “chubby”.
The traditional bánh ú tro of the North and Central Vietnam is just that, a plain chunk, good by itself to some and must be accompanied by honey or sugar to others. Then with time it got a sweetened red bean paste filling. Then a sweetened mung bean paste filling. Then a sweetened grated coconut filling. I grew up eating the red bean kind every year and thought it was the only kind. So I jumped at the first bunch I saw at Kim’s Sandwiches last Sunday, twelve days after the Fifth of Lunar May. The bunch was tied together by green nylon strings. I hurried home, unwrapped, took a bite. My mom called.
– Mom, I found them!
– Really?!?! How are they?
– Good, but why’s there no bean paste?!
Should’ve gotten the red string bunch instead.
———————————————————————-
Bánh ú tro ($3.75/10 pieces) from Kim’s Sandwiches
(in the Lion Supermarket area)
1816 Tully Rd 182, San Jose, CA 95111
(408) 270-8903
(*) Lime paste is used to eat with betel leaves and areca nuts.
Click here for a recipe of bánh ú tro (Vietnamese zong zi)
———————————————————————–
Previously on Sandwich Shop Goodies: bánh bía (Vietnamese adapted Suzhou mooncake)
Next on Sandwich Shop Goodies: corn xôi
Some truly wonderful information, Gladiola I discovered this. “Perfect valor is to behave, without witnesses, as one would act were all the world watching.” by La Rochefoucauld.
1I was curious if you ever considered changing the page layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
2Thanks for another fantastic post. Where else could anybody get that type of information in such a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.
3Would you be inquisitive about exchanging links?
4I’d must verify with you here. Which is not one thing I usually do! I take pleasure in reading a submit that may make folks think. Additionally, thanks for permitting me to comment!
5Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue with your website in web explorer, might check thisK IE still is the market chief and a large component of other people will omit your magnificent writing because of this problem.
6Howdy! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!
7Hi there, simply become alert to your weblog through Google, and located that it’s really informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll appreciate in the event you continue this in future. Numerous other folks might be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
8hey there and thank you to your information – I have definitely picked up something new from right here. I did then again expertise several technical issues the usage of this website, since I skilled to reload the website lots of occasions prior to I may just get it to load properly. I had been pondering in case your web hosting is OK? Now not that I am complaining, however slow loading instances times will very frequently have an effect on your placement in google and could injury your high quality ranking if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Well I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for much extra of your respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again very soon..
9It’s perfect time to make some plans for the longer term and it’s time to be happy. I have read this submit and if I may I wish to suggest you some attention-grabbing issues or advice. Maybe you can write next articles regarding this article. I wish to read even more issues approximately it!
10I do agree with all the ideas you’ve presented in your post. They’re very convincing and will definitely work. Still, the posts are too short for starters. Could you please extend them a bit from next time? Thanks for the post.
11I got good info from your blog
12Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.
13Can I just say what a relief to find someone who actually knows what theyre talking about on the internet. You definitely know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people need to read this and understand this side of the story. I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift.
14Superb blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused .. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot!
15Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
16I am perpetually thought about this, thankyou for posting.
17Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in web explorer, may test this… IE nonetheless is the marketplace leader and a big element of other people will pass over your excellent writing due to this problem.
18Loving the information on this site, you have done great job on the content.
19Keep functioning ,fantastic job!
20Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results. If you know of any please share. Many thanks!
21This actually answered my problem, thanks!
22I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thank you again!
23Yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a risky determination outstanding post! .
24Its such as you read my mind! You seem to understand so much approximately this, like you wrote the ebook in it or something. I believe that you simply could do with some percent to force the message house a little bit, however other than that, that is fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I’ll definitely be back.
25I carry on listening to the reports talk about receiving free online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i acquire some?
26You have brought up a very fantastic points, appreciate it for the post.
27Horse Gelatin Trick
28Well I sincerely enjoyed studying it. This tip provided by you is very practical for proper planning.
29My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a variety of websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform. I have heard great things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
30Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. Nevertheless imagine if you added some great pictures or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and video clips, this website could undeniably be one of the very best in its field. Fantastic blog!
31I was just searching for this information for a while. After six hours of continuous Googleing, finally I got it in your web site. I wonder what’s the lack of Google strategy that don’t rank this type of informative sites in top of the list. Generally the top sites are full of garbage.
32Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?
33I like this website its a master peace ! Glad I observed this on google .
34You got a very excellent website, Gladiola I found it through yahoo.
35Horse Gelatin Trick
36I’m usually to running a blog and i really admire your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your site and preserve checking for brand new information.
37Some genuinely interesting info , well written and broadly speaking user friendly.
38excellent issues altogether, you just won a brand new reader. What may you recommend in regards to your post that you simply made a few days ago? Any sure?
39But wanna comment on few general things, The website design is perfect, the written content is rattling good. “Art for art’s sake makes no more sense than gin for gin’s sake.” by W. Somerset Maugham.
40I just couldn’t leave your site prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard info an individual supply to your visitors? Is going to be back often in order to investigate cross-check new posts
41I have learn several just right stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how so much attempt you put to make this sort of excellent informative website.
42I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
43I was reading through some of your content on this site and I believe this web site is real instructive! Retain putting up.
44Some truly fantastic info , Glad I found this. “Purchase not friends by gifts when thou ceasest to give, such will cease to love.” by Thomas Fuller.
45What i do not understood is actually how you’re not actually much more well-liked than you may be now. You’re so intelligent. You realize thus considerably relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from a lot of varied angles. Its like men and women aren’t fascinated unless it is one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always maintain it up!
46I simply couldn’t depart your web site prior to suggesting that I actually loved the usual information an individual provide in your visitors? Is gonna be back regularly in order to inspect new posts.
47I genuinely enjoy examining on this web site, it has got wonderful blog posts.
48Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will come back down the road. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great job, have a nice day!
49Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; many of us have developed some nice procedures and we are looking to exchange techniques with others, be sure to shoot me an email if interested.
50