In Vietnamese language, 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, ''bánh'' refers to a wide variety of sweet or savory, distinct cakes, buns, pastries, sandwiches, and other food items, which may be cooked by steaming, baking, frying, deep-frying, or boiling. Foods made from wheat flour or rice flour are generally called ''bánh'', but the term may also refer to certain varieties of noodle and fish cake dishes, such as ''bánh canh'' and ''bánh hỏi''. Each variety of ''bánh'' is designated by a descriptive word or phrase that follows the word ''bánh'', such as ''bánh bò'' () or ''bánh chuối'' (). ''Bánh'' that are wrapped in leaves before steaming are called ''bánh lá'' (). In Vietnamese, the term ' is not limited to Vietnamese cuisine: it applies equally to items as varied as fortune cookies ('), pudding ('', ''), Crème caramel, caramel custard ('', ''), sacramental bread ('), Hamburger ('', ''), etc. In some cases, the word can also refer to inedibles that have a cake-like shape, such as car tires ('), bath soaps, and compressed tobacco wheels.

Varieties

There is a nearly endless variety of named dishes with the prefix ''bánh''. What follows is a list of the most typical traditional varieties of ''bánh''.

Noodles

*Bánh canh – tapioca noodles which are cut from a large sheet. *Bánh hỏi – extremely thin noodles that are woven into intricate bundles and often topped with chopped scallions and a complementary meat dish *Bánh phở – The steamed flat and thin cake made from rice flour and water before being cut into strips. The strips are not only called Bánh phở but also "con phở" or "cọng phở," noodles that are used in phở. The width of the strips is usually around 1 cm or less.

Dumplings

* Bánh bá trạng (Bak Chang dumplings) – like Chinese ''zongzi'' *Bánh bao – ball-shaped bun filled with pork and/or other ingredients * Bánh bột lọc – tapioca cake packed with shrimp ** Bánh bột lọc trần – dumplings with wrappers made of tapioca starch; similar to Chaozhou ''fun guo'' ** Bánh bột lọc lá – tiny rice flour dumplings stuffed with shrimp and ground pork and wrapped in a banana leaf; from Hue * Bánh cam – deep-fried glutinous rice sesame balls filled with sweetened mung bean paste; from southern Vietnam * Bánh ít – small stuffed glutinous rice flour balls ** Bánh ít trần – "naked" small stuffed glutinous rice flour balls * Bánh khúc – glutinous rice ball * Bánh nậm – flat rice flour dumpling from Hue stuffed with minced pork and Wood-ear mushroom, wood ear mushroom, and seasoned with black pepper and spices; wrapped in a banana leaf *Bánh phu thê – () * Bánh Bò Mã Lai (Hong Kong Style Malaysian Steamed Sponge Cake) * Bánh Bò Nướng (Vietnamese Baked Honey Comb Cake) * Bánh Bò Nướng Chay (Vietnamese Baked Honeycomb Cake Eggless Version) * Bánh Bông Lan Bơ (Fruit/Butter Cake) * Bánh Bông Lan Cuốn (Swiss Roll) * Bánh Bông Lan Phú Sĩ (Mountain Fuji Cake) * Bánh Bông Lan Rễ Tre (Honeycomb Sponge Cakes) * Bánh pía (Theochew "Pia" Pastry) * Bánh Chuối Hấp (Steamed Banana Cake) * Bánh Chuối Nướng (Baked Banana Bread Pudding) * Bánh Cốm (Rice Flake Cakes) * Bánh Choux (aka Bánh Xu, Bánh Su, Choux À la Cream, Bánh Sữa, Cream Puffs) * Banh Dap - Rice crackers stuck together * Bánh Dẻo (Vietnamese Ping Pei Mooncakes) * Bánh Dẻo Cuộn (Ping Pei Rolls) * Bánh Flan (Caramel Flan) * Bánh Gan ("Liver" Cake) * Bánh Hạnh Nhân (Vietnamese Almond/Peanut Cookies) * Bánh Hạnh Nhân Kiểu Tàu (Chinese Almond Cookies) * Bánh Hoa Mai/Hoa Đào (Cherry/Plum Blossom Cookies) * Bánh Hoa Sen (Lotus Pastries) * Bánh in (Print Cakes) * Bánh Men (Yeast Cookies) * Bánh Mì Ngọt Nhân Xoài và Phô Mai(Mango and Cream Cheese Bun) * Bánh Quai Vạc (Coconut/Mung Bean Puffs) * Bánh quai vạt – (Couldron Cakes) * Bánh Quế/Bánh Kẹp (Vietnamese Love Letters) * Bánh Sát Phu (Husband Killers) * Bánh Thuẫn Hấp (Steamed Cup Cakes) * Bánh Vòng (donuts) * Bánh Ú Nước Tro (Lye Water Dumplings) * Bánh Xốp Bơ (Chewy Butter Cookies) * Bánh Bao Nương Nhân Xá Xíu (Baked Char Siu Paus * Bào Ngư Xào Nấm Đông Cô (Braised Shitake Mushrooms with Abalone) * Bánh Hoa Hồng (Rose Dumplings) * Bánh Khoai Môn Tàn Ong (Dimsum Taro Puffs) * Bánh Mì Chiên (Fried Baguettes) * Bánh Mì Hấp (Steamed Baguettes) * Bánh patê sô, Pa tê sô – A French-inspired meat-filled pastry. Characterized by flaky crust and either pork or chicken as the filling. * Bánh Phồng Tôm (Shrimp Crackers/Chips) * Bánh trôi nước

References

External links

Alice's Guide to Vietnamese Banhche bot loc
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banh Vietnamese words and phrases Deep fried foods Steamed foods Bánh

Varieties

Noodles

Dumplings

See also

References

External links