One of the charms of Mekong Delta is the various types of cakes with diversity in taste and flavour. These cakes are not only delicious, good looking but also easy to find and very cheap. You can find them in any market in any province, on the streets, or small restaurants. Click here to know 10 desserts you can’t miss in Vietnam.
Here we listed the best 10 traditional cakes of Mekong Delta region which is praised by Viet people from all over the country.
- Bánh Pía, Pia pastry
Pia pastry is a speciality of Soc Trang province, famous for its unique sweet taste of durian and salted yolk. From outside Pia pastry is very similar to moon cake, but the taste of these two are different. The pastry appeared in the country in the 17th century from China. The cake is a harmonious combination of different materials, offering a very special feeling: the soft, flexible crust; the fleshy taro or mung beans, sweet aroma of durian flavour, slightly salty and greasy salted egg…
If you want to buy best Pia Cake, come to Soc Trang with noble brands such as Tan Hung and Tan Hue Vien. There are many kinds of Pia Cake, and the price ranges from 50,000 to 150,000VND for one pack.
- Bánh Ống, Tube cake
This Khmer cake can be found anywhere in Mekong Delta region, has originality in Soc Trang and Tra Vinh. The cake looks like a small tube so that’s why it has the name “Banh ong”. Khmer people make this cake by rice and pandan leaves with sesame salt and coconut. They put the rice in a tube mould and press tight to form the cake. This is a street-food dish you can try on the road or in markets.
- Bánh Cống, Cong cake
The best Banh Cong is said to found in Dai Tam commune, My Xuyen district, Soc Trang province. The cake is also a Khmer food. Banh Cong has a shape of a cupcake, with a height of 6cm, brown crust and a fried shrimp on top, served with sauce and herbs. The inside contains steamed green beans and minced meat. Cong cake now can be found in any city of Mekong Delta and is one of the most famous cakes of the region. You only have to pay 10,000VND for each cake.
- Bánh Xèo, Sizzling pancake
Banh Xeo is a very famous cake and even found in many provinces in the north. The Vietnamese word ‘xeo’ (pronounced ‘seyo’) represents the sizzling sound made when the batter for these pancakes hits the pan. The pancake is made of rice flour, water, and turmeric powder, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, diced green onion, and bean sprouts.
There are many places to enjoy a good sizzling pancake, especially in Saigon such as Muoi Xiem restaurant, Banh Xeo 46A, Long Huy restaurant, Ngoc Son restaurant….
- Bánh Tổ Yến, Bird’s Nest cake
One of the many interesting traditional cakes of Vietnam people comes from the Mekong Delta region. The birth of the cake’s name is from the resemblance of a bird’s nest from the outside shape. The cake is mainly made of flour, egg and coconut juice. It used to be a very popular street snack on the streets of Saigon. However, over the past few years, the vendors selling these cakes have gradually disappeared and it is now very difficult to find a place that sells bird’s nest cake.
- Bánh Chuối Nướng, Baked Banana cake
Banh Chuoi Nuong is one of the very rare baked goodies of Vietnamese cuisine. Although it is called “baked banana cake” the cake is more of a really delicious bread pudding with a lot of bananas in it. The bread is soaked in a mixture of coconut cream and brown palm sugar (or dark brown sugar). Then, alternate layers of bread and banana slices are assembled and baked. The result is a caramelized banana pudding that is soft, sweet with a really beautiful aroma of baked banana and coconut.
- Bánh Giá, Gia cake
Banh Gia is a speciality from Tien Giang province, the best Banh Gia is found in Giong market, Go Cong, Tien Giang. The cake is very famous and loved by the locals. According to historical stories, the cake was born at the same time when the land was being formed in the 17th century. “Gia” is the name of the mould to make the cake. Gia cake is made of meat, shrimp, mushroom, wood ear, napa cabbage, rice flour, soy flour, pig brain, vegetable oil or lard. Fire the cake till it’s done, served with noodle, sauce and herbs.
- Bánh Cam, Orange cake
There are many versions of the cake the one I’m talking about is spherical and flat and lined during a sugar glaze. The other version (in North Vietnam) is round like an orange; however, it does not have the glaze. The orange cake of the south is quite easily made with rice flour, mung bean paste fried until the crust turns into golden brown. The sugar syrup is put on the surface of the cake at the end. This cake is a favourite dessert for children and sold in every big market in the south.
- Bánh Da Lợn, Pig’s Skin cake
The cake is one of the best desserts in Vietnam. This cake will impress you deeply with its gorgeous look with light green surface and yellow lines in between. The cake is made from tapioca starch, rice flour, mashed mung bean paste, taro, or durian, coconut milk and/or water, and sugar. In the end, the cake must have a pleasant vibrant green colour and fragrance of pandan leaf. The yellow layers can either be mung beans or durian.
You can find best Banh Da Lon on the old streets of Hoi An with very cheap price only from 3000-5000VND.
- Bánh Khọt, Khot cake
Some opinion supposes that the cake’s name came from the sound “khot khot” of the cake when oil starts boiling. Other supports the idea that this name came from a Mandarin word “khot” in the meaning of hardship or hard work because, in the past, the local people were so poor that they didn’t have meat to eat so that came up with this cake which is made out of flour only. The main ingredient to make this dish is rice flour, being kept in water overnight then minced and made into round shapes. The cakes are fried with oil until they get brown and served with sauce.
Enjoy these cakes which are served with the brightest smiles and hospitality of the humble and friendly river dwellers.
Fiona