The cake catches the eyes of many bypassers with its yellowish crust, which appears both thick, sticky and quite rich in eggs. Also, if watching it closely, you will spot that the snack is always placed next to a bow of mung beans and sugar.
A Simple, Crispy Yet Addictive Snack of Hanoians
Banh Da Ke in Hanoi sticks to the childhood of several Hanoians, so whenever the locals see them sold on the street, they would buy them at all cost. But how do they look in reality?
The cake catches the eyes of many bypassers with its yellowish crust, which appears both thick, sticky and quite rich in eggs. Also, if watching it closely, you will spot that the snack is always placed next to a bow of mung beans and sugar.
A Simple, Crispy Yet Addictive Snack of Hanoians
Hanoi has many street vendors so that you can find Banh Da Ke easily around here. Spot a woman who is riding a bike with a basket of baked rice paper in front, one pot of ke grains behind her and some mung beans plus sugar. If seeing her, then you’ve found Banh Da Ke already!
It’s good to know that the snack is one of the simplest and cheapest desserts to enjoy even on a hot summer day. The millet here will be spread on “Banh Da” (a giant crunchy cake) before another layer of mung bean is topped on it, and the last layer of the cake is all sugar.
In case you don’t know, find that rice cracker around the vendors and bia hoi outlets that usually accompany Hanoi beer. private tour in Vietnam
Besides, it depends on each person’s taste in which some love more sugar while some others like to add more mung beans, the seller will crack the cake in the middle and fold them into each other like a sandwich.
When you enjoy Banh Da Ke in Hanoi, you might feel that the millet won’t smell too much, but only the mung bean and the crispy crust of the cake will invite you for a bite. The taste of the crispy and crunchy cakes gently mixed with the sweetness of sugar and beans naturally creates such a unique yet addictive taste.
It owns a buttery texture and amazingly sweet smell, which just makes us want to get a bite right at the time holding it in hand. Once chewing the cake, you can feel the whole taste of Banh Da Ke or be reminded of Hanoi, which is quite precious to most people living here.
Nothing is compared to this taste of their homeland made by the ancestors’ efforts. The snack can be seen as the soul of each Hanoian and the symbol of all street vendors selling around — when Banh Da Ke was sold on a small bicycle and contained in a basket behind the female vendor. Such an image has always made an extremely strong imprint that is hard to forget!
How much is it and where to find Banh Da ke?
The past price for one banh da ke was in a range of 2,000 – 3,000 VND, and nowadays, it has got higher a bit though the flavor is not changing at all. Walk along Hang Bong street in Hanoi Old Quarter or Dong Tac market, where you could find an idea address for this snack.
However, you won’t see many vendors selling this special snack as much as they did in the past. It’s probably because banh da ke is not as eye-catching as other foods in the city. But if visiting Hanoi, you must taste it to enjoy the beautiful flavor that comes right from the modesty and simpleness of all ingredients.
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